Everyone Loves a Butler
by KingWykkyd57
Summary: Underneath his sloth-like attitude and overall rudeness, Dwyer was genuinely a good person. Of course, it was these hidden traits that made him so popular with the girls around camp. Between doing chores and fighting a war, how is a poor guy supposed to deal with EVERY one of his female friends falling in love with him!
1. Ophelia Dusk, Here to Serve

**Heyo, everyone! Thank you for clicking on my story! Ah...I don't have that much experience writing full length Fire Emblem stories, it's basically all one shots (I highly recommend you check out my Beruka centered one shots if you haven't already), but I feel pretty confident in my abilities. One thing we should get out of the way first: This is NOT a harem story! Yeah, it may seem that way due to the summary but I can assure you that (for the most part) it's not. Which means by the end of this there isn't no "share the guy and get him ultra laid" endings here. We're going in this with one love interest or none at all! What will happen? You'll just have to read to find out.**

 **Enjoy the first chapter, everyone!**

 **...**

Dwyer was always a stubborn young man, all one had to do was look at the relationship he shared with his father to figure that out... Despite his lazy nature, he wasn't one to just give up and accept defeat so easily. No, his father may have been a jerk, but he still taught Dwyer _some_ life lessons.

But even he could admit that he was royally screwed.

He saw his caretakers in their thick, heavy armor swarm around him, blocking his view of...whatever it was that was attacking them. He tried to peek over one of the armored guards' shoulder, but he couldn't see a thing. All he could tell was that there was some strange, purple haze surrounding them.

"What's going on?" he asked.

One of the guards shook his head. "I don't know, young master," he admitted. "Whatever these things are, we can hardly see them. It's like they're invisible or something!"

'Invisible?' thought Dwyer, raising an eyebrow. 'That's strange.'

He heard one of his caretakers swing his mighty lance, and it caught hold of something. The enemy was launched backwards, the force behind the strike so powerful that the enemy smashed clean through a wall. The sleepy butler winced as he heard the wall crumble. 'Just when I bought the new wallpaper too...' he sighed.

"Everyone!" he called, gathering the attention of his caretakers. "Don't be afraid to fight!" He held up a sun festival staff, a gift from his father before he dumped his son in this dreary place. "I'll be able to heal you whenever you need it!"

The caretakers seemed to hesitate, unsure whether to leave the young butler alone while they fought the enemy off. However, Dwyer gave them a surprisingly stern look. "Go!" he ordered, and the caretakers charged quickly into battle, two blocking the room's entrance to prevent more invisible enemies from coming inside.

Dwyer took a deep breath and clutched his staff tighter. 'I can do this,' he told himself. 'I just have to keep everyone alive, then I can go back to napping without worry.'

It seemed to be like good motivation. Dwyer saw one of the caretakers buckle, and Dwyer quickly pointed the staff in his direction, energy returning to the man.

Suddenly, he heard a shout coming from the distance. Confused, the boy turned his head, eyes laying on the hole in the wall that revealed the sleepy village. Straining his ears, he inched forward and listened.

"Son!" the voice cried out. "Son! They're coming for you!"

"Father...?" Dwyer questioned under his breath. 'What's Father doing here?' he wondered.

He didn't have time to answer his own question, as he felt something grip the back of his collar. Surprised, Dwyer could do nothing as he was suddenly flipped over, landing painfully on his back. The breath was forced out of his lungs, and he gasped for air as the barely visible ninja effortlessly sliced through his caretakers.

'No...' Dwyer thought, struggling to his feet. 'You can't...' He was kicked down, and when he looked up he came face to face with an arrow mere inches away from him. His eyes trailed up the attacker, who sported a sadistic grin.

'Oh, dammit...'

Then the archer let the arrow loose.

...

Ophelia yawned, blinking the sleep out from her eyes as she struggled to keep up with the rest of the group. This place...this place was not suited for a chosen one, the gloomy nature of it all could drag the most active fighter into a inescapable slumber. She wondered why she was forced to accompany the group to this place, this had absolutely nothing to do with her. Apparently, Mr. Jakob was here to deliver a gift for his son, who was moved from his deeprealm after reaching adult age to the village they were currently at. Ophelia thought it was nice for the man to visit his son, she just didn't see why he had to bring everyone else!

Her father told her that Jakob wanted to introduce his son to the army during the visit. 'Still,' she thought as she glanced over at the group ahead of her. 'There aren't many of us here. Why was I chosen for this?'

Lord Corrin, Jakob, Silas, Kaze, Lady Camilla, Arthur, Arthur's son: Percy, Hayato, her father, Charlotte, Mitama, and herself. Ophelia could understand why some would accompany the butler, Charlotte being his wife, Corrin being his lord, and Silas just being everyone's best friend.

Speaking of the group, Ophelia looked over at Mitama, who looked perfectly happy. The young mage noticed her friend occasionally glancing towards shops advertising new mattresses and other sleeping products. Taking a deep breath, Ophelia walked over to the Hoshidan and attempted to strike conversation.

"So..." she began, too tired to even attempt her heroic dialect. "Do you know anything about Jakob's son?" Mitama shook her head, not taking her starry eyes off of the mattress shop. Ophelia bit her lip. "What do you think he's like, then?"

Mitama paused, tapping her chin in thought. "In this sleepy town/ a mysterious boy lives/ I cannot tell you." she recited, before shaking her head and sighing.

Ophelia felt her shoulders droop. Okay, so Mitama had no clue what this boy may be like. Heck, they didn't even know his name! Ophelia moved herself towards the front of the group, stopping next to Jakob. "Mr. Jakob?" she asked.

Jakob sighed impatiently and turned to the girl. "Yes?"

"What's your son's name?" Ophelia questioned. "And what's he like?"

"Dwyer," the butler answered, frowning. "And he's the laziest, most self centered oaf you'll ever meet."

...well that certainly didn't sound like a good first impression.

"Is that all?" Ophelia pressed further, hoping to gain more information if only to cure her boredom.

"I'll tell you all you need to know, dear daughter!" Odin Dark announced boisterously. "I had the honor of meeting him once, and his tea tastes like a sweet nectar from the gods! Why, it can vanquish all evil in this world!" He laughed, patting his daughter's head. "He may very well be a chosen one, just like you and me!"

Ophelia's eyes widened at this new revelation. Another chosen one?! Just like her and Father?! "R-Really?" she gasped, unable to contain her excitement.

Jakob scoffed. "A chosen one?" he repeated mockingly. "Don't make me laugh, Odin. The boy is damn near worthless."

Ophelia frowned. How dare Jakob talk about a chosen one like that? His own son! She was just about to give the man a piece of her mind, but he hurried off to go ask something from a passerby.

"Excuse me," he said. "I'm terribly sorry, but I'm looking for my son, Dwyer." The passerby shook her head rudely and hurried off, leaving behind the group. Jakob sighed. "As always, that lazy lout is probably snoring away somewhere. Clearly his bad attitude has effected the whole village." He glanced around the buildings. "What a sleepy place."

Ophelia could second last sentence.

Jakob turned to the rest of the group. "Why do I even bother fetching Dwyer his favorite coffee beans?" he wondered. "How did I come to buttle my son, when he should come running to serve me?"

Percy shrugged as he petted his dragon's neck. "Maybe he just doesn't like you?" he suggested, completely oblivious to the awkward looks he was receiving.

"You shut your mouth, boy," Jakob growled before continuing his search. "Now where on earth is he? He said he'd meet us here!"

Ophelia sighed. Humming a small tune to herself, she paced aimlessly until a small movement caught her eye. Glancing up, at first she saw nothing. But the more she stared the more she could see the faint outline of a person sitting on the rooftop. The young mage gasped when she realized what it was, and she quickly yelled for Corrin's attention. "Look!" she gasped, pointing up.

Everyone froze when they saw the invisible soldier. Slowly, the creature turned to them, bobbing its shoulders up and down as if it were laughing. Then, it leaped off the roof and made a mad sprint away.

"Where's that fiend going?" Jakob hissed, before he chased after it. Now wide awake, all the others sprinted into action.

"C'mon, Ace!" Percy ordered as his dragon took off into the sky.

Ophelia looked up, and her eyes widened when she saw more invisible soldiers appear. 'No...' she thought. "There's more of them!"

Jakob cursed, his gaze following the invaders. Then he gasped and quickened his pace. "They're breaking into Dwyer's house!" he cried. "Son! They're coming for you!"

Then they all saw it. Through a hole in the wall, they saw a young man laying helplessly on the floor, an invisible archer aiming an arrow point blank at his face.

"NO!" Jakob shouted. The arrow shot out, but it never hit the young man. Instead, it stuck deep into the floor as the archer looked around in confusion.

Everyone looked behind them, and saw the young man sprawled onto the cobblestone ground underneath Mitama's feet, the girl holding a rescue staff in her hands.

"Are you alright, sir/ You were nearly killed just now/ and yet you still live." Mitama said in her typical haiku.

The boy raised an eyebrow. "That was kind of weak, wasn't it?"

Mitama narrowed her eyes and squeezed her her brush so tight it snapped, but she paid it no mind. "Well excuse me!" she barked. "Do you know how hard it is to come up with a half-decent haiku in this hellhole you call a village?!"

"In this sleepy town/ not knowing it's invaded/ twelve heroes arrive."

Mitama blushed and looked away. "Whatever."

The man grunted before rising to his feet, and Ophelia felt her breath stop momentarily. There was no doubt that despite his...shaggy appearance, he was a handsome looking man. He didn't seem that much like a chosen one, but there was no way Father could be wrong...

"Father..." the young man said, rushing towards Jakob. "Father, these strange soldiers are attacking us, I'm afraid my caretakers may be dead!" Ophelia heard Charlotte gasp.

"I know," Jakob stated. "We're here to get rid of those things." He turned to Corrin. "With your permission, milord, I would like for us to battle these invaders."

Corrin nodded, before ordering everyone to battle. As they rushed off, Ophelia heard Dwyer say, "Alright, I'll keep close and heal any of you who get injured."

"Excuse me?!" Jakob exclaimed. "Dwyer, you leave your comrades to die while you dillydally in the back? That's a coward's game, son."

"Not everything is about fighting, Father..." Dwyer argued. "I can be just as much help healing someone as you can fighting the enemy... Isn't a butler supposed to serve, not show up his masters?"

"Is that an insult, you wretched boy?!" Jakob growled.

Dwyer shook his head. "Of course not," he protested quietly. "But if you want me to jump into battle, you have the wrong son." His eyes narrowed. "I'm a healer, not a fighter."

Jakob sighed, flicking his wrist. An invader that was attempting to ambush them fell down, a dagger between its eyes. "You always did run from a fight," he muttered. "Go on then," he waved his hand, "let your father do all the work."

Ophelia wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel about this, and she wondered if they knew she was standing right in front of them. She could feel her opinion of Jakob lessen as he continued to berate his son. The dark mage wasn't sure what history the two shared, but surely a chosen one like Dwyer didn't deserve such unkindness, right?

Dwyer gritted his teeth and clenched a fist. "You never did see me for who I was," he grumbled. "Perhaps I wasn't the best son when I was younger, but now I keep people alive."

Jakob sneered. "Tell that to your caretakers."

Ophelia saw the younger butler flinch, his blonde hair falling over his eyes. Jakob didn't say anything else, turning around and joining the battle. Ophelia awkwardly stood there with the dejected boy, not knowing exactly what to say.

"...sorry you heard all of that," Dwyer apologized. Ophelia blinked.

"Oh no!" she said. "It's perfectly fine, I just... Wish he treated you better?"

Dwyer shrugged. "Eh, whatever," he dismissed. "We should probably get to the battle."

Ophelia nodded. As they ran (more like jogged given Dwyer's speed), she attempted to strike another conversation. "You're...Dwyer, right?"

Dwyer nodded. "Yeah, that's me," he said as they entered the house that was being attacked. "And you are?"

Ophelia launched a spell from Missiletainn at an enemy coming from behind Dwyer. The young butler glanced at the fallen foe, seemingly impressed. "Ophelia Dusk, here to serve!" the dark mage introduced herself.

"...heh," Dwyer grunted. "Interesting."

Ophelia nearly squealed in joy. 'The chosen one recognizes my worth!' she thought. 'Truly it is fate that we meet tonight!'

"Anyway..." Dwyer continued. "We should get back to the battle...Father will be even angrier if he sees me having a casual conversation." He gave a small wave before rushing towards an extremely bruised Arthur. "I'll talk to you some other time, Ophelia Dusk."

"O-Of course!"

Ophelia watched the healer work, before taking a deep breath and rushing into the fray. 'If Father recognizes him as a chosen one, then I will do my best for him!' she proclaimed internally.

...

The battle had ended long ago, and after discovering that what caretakers he had left had abandoned him, Dwyer silently tidied up what was left of the house while the others stayed outside. Mitama had taken this opportunity to power nap, and Percy was flying around the village on his dragon, leaving Ophelia with no one to talk to. Her father was busy discussing things with the other adults, and the young mage strained her ears to listen.

"Just hear me out, Jakob," Corrin was saying. "Your son kept us alive with his healing, I think we should allow him to join our cause!"

"With all due respect, milord," the butler argued. "We are all expected to carry our own weight in the army, and that is simply something Dwyer cannot do. He's not ready."

"Arthur would've _died_ if it wasn't for him," Lady Camilla pointed out. "You and Mitama were too busy with the enemy to heal him."

"I truly would feel safer with the boy backing us up!" Arthur admitted. "He is a worthy seeker of justice in my book!"

"The point of being an army is being able to function as a team, Jakob," Corrin urged. "With half our healers in constant battle, we'll need someone like your son to focus solely on keeping the rest of us alive."

"Are you se-" Jakob stopped, and sighed. "Alright, but someone would have to keep an eye on him. I taught him all the martial arts I know, but he insists that it's worthless on the battlefield."

"...I'll do it."

All heads turned to Ophelia, who stood with her arm clasped behind her back. Jakob looked ready to protest, but an encouraging look from everyone else stopped him. "If you want to waste your time with that oaf, then you'll need Lord Corrin's permission," he said.

Corrin nodded and gave Odin Dark's daughter a smile. "If that's what you want, I see no reason to say no," he decided.

"Oh, isn't this exciting?" Charlotte beamed as she wrapped herself around Jakob's arm. "We'll finally be able to spend time together as a family again!"

Jakob sighed and reluctantly nodded. He gestured to Ophelia. "Go make sure the boy knows," he ordered. "Lord Corrin has decided that we leave in an hour."

Ophelia nodded and ran back inside the house, almost immediately finding Dwyer in the kitchen, brewing a cup of coffee. Dwyer glanced up when the girl entered, and sighed. "Well this is fantastic," he said sarcastically. "My home is gone and my caretakers either left me or are dead. I've been having a great day today."

Ophelia frowned. "Dwyer," she began softly. "Your father wanted me to tell you that we leave in an hour...you're joining the army."

Dwyer didn't make any visible expression. Shaking his head, he took a sip of his coffee and shrugged. "Well, I shouldn't be surprised. I knew I was going to get dragged into all of this sooner or later."

"Oh..."

"Want some?"

Ophelia blinked. "Huh?"

Dwyer gestured to his cup. "Coffee," he confirmed. "Would you like some?"

Ophelia shook her head, remembering her father's words. "Actually..." she said. "I was wondering if I could try your finest cup of...Maiden's Tears?"

Silence.

"What?"

"Tea," Ophelia quickly clarified. "I-I meant tea!" She bit her lip. 'Oh no, he's going to think I'm so weird!'

"Well why didn't you just say so?" Dwyer asked. "I'll make you some right now, hold on a second."

Ophelia nodded, sitting herself down at the table. She folded her hands on her lap and waited patiently.

"So what's it like?"

It took Ophelia a moment to realize that Dwyer had spoken. Acknowledging his question, she thought for a moment before answering. "Well..." she trailed off and thought some more. "When we're not camping, we move to an astral plane where Lord Corrin's fortress is. Everyone there is nice, we have some oddballs here and there..." She thought some more. "There's plenty of people our age there as well, you've already met one of them."

Dwyer smirked. "The girl with the lame haikus," he assumed.

Ophelia giggled and nodded. "That's Mitama," she told him. "I have a feeling you two might get along."

"Maybe," Dwyer halfheartedly agreed. He set a teacup down in front of her. "Here's your tea. It's very hot, so be careful."

"This maiden fears not whatever danger lurks ahead!" Ophelia boldly claimed. 'Oh gosh, I hope that wasn't too much!'

"...What?"

'Gah!' Ophelia waved her hand. "It's nothing..." She raised the cup to her lips and tilted it, letting the liquid flow inside her mouth. Immediately, an intense fire burned deep in her belly, fluttering her stomach and making her feel warm all over. "It...IT'S DEVINE!" she exclaimed as she hurriedly slurped the rest down, moaning sweetly as the warmth of the tea spread all throughout her. "Truly you must be descended from the gods to be able to create such wonder!" she gasped. "Father was right, you _are_ a chosen one!"

Dwyer looked both equally confused and embarrassed. "Uh...Thanks?" He shook his head. "But...my coffee is much better than my tea-"

"Nonsense!" Ophelia hissed. "Dwyer, nothing can possibly be as soul lifting as what you've created just now! You have a gift, Dwyer!"

'He truly is a chosen one,' the dark mage thought with a blush. 'All this time I thought it was just Father and I. But to meet such a wonderful person...It must be fate!' She glanced up at Dwyer, who was trying to protest the girl's claims. She smiled at him. 'Dwyer,' she thought. 'Something tells me the world has big plans for you!'

...

 **And that's the first chapter! So what did you think? Love it? Hate it? Let me know in the reviews! And remember, stay wykkyd!**


	2. Selkie Sells Out!

**Alrighty, everyone! Second chapter starting now! (Because I really can't think of anything else to say except "Enjoy the chapter!")**

 **...**

The first impression Dwyer had of Lord Corrin's fortress was how much of a pain in the ass it was going to be to try to keep it clean. It was huge, _really_ huge. Definitely large enough to keep an entire army hidden away. The high stone walls towered over the group of thirteen as they entered through the castle gates, revealing a large courtyard where most appeared to be lounging around and having nice social interactions. Dwyer took in his surroundings, most notably the tree house that stood proudly in the center of it all. The young butler raised an eyebrow. A tree house? Why a tree house?

"Stone walls tower high/ a most impressive display/ a hero's castle." Mitama recited, catching up with the young man.

Dwyer pointed towards the unusual choice of residence. "What's with the tree house?" he asked.

Mitama huffed in annoyance and shook her head. "Why do I even bother...?" she grumbled, before speaking up to answer Dwyer's question. "That is Lord Corrin's private quarters. He often invites some of us up there for tea time."

"Okay, but why is it a tree house?"

"Dammit, Dwyer, does it matter?" Mitama groaned. "It's a tree house, so what? I think it adds character to this place."

"Dwyer, stop pestering the girl," Jakob hissed from ahead. "We still have to show you to your quarters."

Dwyer's head sprang up, and a rare smile barely ghosted his face. "Does this mean I can take a nap...?" he wondered.

"Absolutely not!" Jakob turned to face his son, his expression sour. "You must introduce yourself to the members of the army. A first impression is important for a butler, son!"

"And I understand that," the younger servant agreed. "I'm just saying I can do all of that after my nap."

Jakob sighed and marched ahead, not bothering to respond. He already had enough to deal with, anyway...

Ophelia joined the other children, her smile brightening up the mood. "Oh, I can't wait to introduce you to everyone!" she exclaimed, clasping her hands together. "I promise you'll enjoy the people here, Dwyer!"

"Yeah, I hope so," Dwyer said, gesturing his thumb at Mitama. "Hopefully they're nicer than haiku girl here," he jested, chuckling at the sputtering growls the shrine maiden produced.

Ophelia giggled, shaking her head slightly. "Don't worry, they are," she assured. She thought about it for a moment, before she added, "Well, most of them. Rhajat and Velouria tend to stay away from everyone else."

Dwyer nodded, taking in the information. "Anything else I should know?" he asked.

"Nina's a nut case and Soleil is a pervert," Mitama mentioned with a wave of her hand.

Ophelia glared at the other girl, shooting her a silent warning. Mitama ignored it, instead branching off from the group to go work on her haiku. The dark mage sighed, turning back to her new friend. "I apologize," she said, casting her eyes down. "Mitama isn't usually like this, I swear. She's just... _really_ touchy about people brushing off her poetry."

Dwyer nodded. "I noticed."

"PAPA!"

The two glanced up to see a young girl with bright red hair loosely tied in a bun sprint toward Lord Corrin, nearly tackling him to the ground with a fierce hug. Corrin laughed and swung the girl around, kissing the top of her head. The girl beamed and began telling a lengthy tale about turning into a dragon or something, much to Dwyer's confusion. Ophelia seemed to sense it, and she quickly explained.

"That's Kana, Lord Corrin's daughter," she told him. "The two have a ferocious power to transform into battle ready dragons at will."

Dwyer blinked, backing away slightly. 'Holy shit,' he thought. 'That's certainly...drastic.'

The girl, Kana, finally ended her story, and Corrin leaned down to whisper something into her ear. The girl's eyes widened, and Dwyer saw her sneaking a side glance in his direction. Corrin finally stood up, and Dwyer gulped when he saw the dragon child bounce towards him, her ever present smile somehow growing bigger.

Finally, she stopped in front of him and held out her hand. "Hiya!" she greeted. "I haven't seen you around before. My name's Kana, and I can turn into a dragon!"

Dwyer heard Ophelia giggle once more, and he hesitantly shook the girl's hand. "Dwyer," he introduced himself. "I'm Jakob's son."

Kana nodded. "Ah, alright!" she turned around and pointed towards a couple of housing areas towards one of the fortress's corners. "Most of the other kids stay there," she explained. "So I think that's where you're going as well."

"Actually, he's not, Lady Kana," Jakob said sternly as he intruded on the conversation. "As a butler, he is expected to be a loyal servant to this castle. As such, he will be staying in the same bunking area as Felicia, Flora, and I."

"Oh..." Kana looked down, kicking at the grass. "Okay, I guess."

"Don't worry, Kana!" Ophelia comforted. "I'm sure Dwyer will still have time to play with you!" She turned to face Dwyer, her smile as gentle and lovely as ever. "Isn't that right, Dwyer?"

Dwyer quickly nodded and patted Kana's head. "Of course," he agreed. "Once all my chores are done."

'Dammit,' he thought. 'There goes my nap time...'

"Hmph," Jakob grunted. "Assuming the bloody oaf doesn't nap on the job, that is." He gently made a shooing motion with his hands. "Run along now, it's time I show Dwyer to his room. After that he will introduce himself to everyone properly." He turned to his son, eyes narrowing. "And don't even think about backing out of it."

Dwyer raised his hands in defense. "I would never..." he denied.

Jakob rolled his eyes and continued leading his son towards his new home. "Hurry along, then," he called over his shoulder.

Dwyer sighed and turned to the two girls, waving goodbye. "I'll see you later, then," he said.

"Bye, Dwyer!"

"Farewell!"

Dwyer nodded and hurried along after his father. The two butlers eventually matched each other stride for stride. Well...almost. Dwyer's strides were considerably more dragged than Jakob's.

"You should pick up your feet, boy," Jakob advised. "A butler's appearance represents his masters. How can you expect anyone to take your lord seriously when you look like death itself?"

Dwyer rolled his eyes. "Well, I don't have a lord yet, Father," he pointed out.

"You do, actually," Jakob corrected. "Lord Corrin."

"...isn't he your lord?"

 _SMACK!_

Dwyer rubbed the back of his head painfully, his eyes barely meeting the older butler's. Jakob had slapped his son over the head. _Hard._ Jakob raised his lip into a snarl, jabbing a finger into his son's chest.

"We _all_ serve Lord Corrin, understand?" he hissed. "He is your lord just as much as he is mine, and I'll be damned if I let my lazy fool of a son shame our lord!"

Dwyer nodded. "I understand, Father."

Oh, how he wished he could punch the old man, sometimes...

Jakob nodded, clearly satisfied with this. Without another word he led Dwyer to a small hut, and opened the door. Immediately the scent of dust and the tiniest bit of mold flooded the younger butler's nostrils. He frowned, knowing that it would take a lot of work to get the place properly tidied up.

'He did this on purpose...' he realized. 'Dad of the year.'

"Here you go," Jakob said, gesturing to the interior of the hut. "From now on, this will be your place of residence. It's a bit messy, but I'm sure you can handle it." He stepped inside, and Dwyer followed.

It was even smaller than he imagined. Literally, there was one bed towards the left, and a desk in the center with a window above it. To the right was a drawer to put his clothes in.

And...that was basically it. Apart from the dust that was thick enough to suffocate a man.

Jakob seemed to smirk, and he quickly exited the hut. "I'll let you get settled in," he said before closing the door, leaving Dwyer all alone.

Sighing, Dwyer dropped his bags and walked towards the desk, noting the feather duster laying on top of it. 'Thanks, Father,' he thought bitterly before picking it up. Shaking his head, he threw open the window to let some fresh air in, before began the long task of dusting the place.

The long...long...long task.

He was halfway done with having a clean drawer when a voice coming from the outside window grabbed his attention.

"Wow," it whistled. "That looks _super_ boring!"

Whipping around, Dwyer pathetically held the feather duster out like a weapon. The girl at the window chuckled, before she raised her hands. "Aw, I ain't gonna hurt you!" she assured.

She had short, blonde hair with a colored stripe on it, along with two fox ears sticking out the top of her head. She wore a short, long-sleeved red vest of some sort, that also had a fur collar. Underneath it was a short, Hoshidan style dress tied together with a sash. She had a beautiful tail wagging from behind her, and her lovely face was cat-like and mischievous.

Dwyer sighed and set the feather duster down, approaching the window and leaning against the desk. "Can I help you?" he asked, just wanting to get back to cleaning.

The girl pointed a finger at him. "So _you're_ the new guy Kana and Ophelia were telling us about!" she exclaimed, before pointing at herself. "My name's Selkie!"

"Dwyer." he returned the greeting. 'Now if I can just get back to cleaning...'

"Dee-wyer?" The girl, apparently Selkie, tilted her head. "That's a funny name."

"That's not how it's pronou-"

"Anyway!" Selkie interrupted. "I was just coming over to see if you wanted to play! All that dusting looks awfully boring!"

...was this girl on drugs or something? Dwyer shook his head. "No thank you," he declined. "I'd much rather just get this over and done with."

The fox-girl pouted, which Dwyer could secretly admit looked cute. "Aw, man..." she whined. "I was hoping you wouldn't be boring..."

Dwyer's eye twitched. "Listen, I'm not boring!" he protested, but Selkie wasn't paying attention to him anymore. Instead her amber eyes were fixated on something outside of his view. Then, a grin spread across her face.

"Well, you can stay here and be boring," she said, before pointing to whatever it was she was looking at. "But that tree looks awfully tall! I'm gonna go jump off of it!"

"Wait, what?!"

And in an instant, the girl made a mad dash towards the tree. 'She's going to get hurt!' Dwyer thought as he reached into his back and pulled out a basic healing staff. He then rushed out of his hut and immediately saw the tree Selkie was talking about. It was easily over twenty feet tall!

...and Selkie was all the way at the top. She caught sight of the butler, and gave him a wave. "Hiya, Dee-wyer!" she called from above. "Watch me do a back flip!"

Dwyer's eyes widened. "Selkie, don't!" he warned, but it was too late. The girl leaped off of the high branch, twisting her body in the air. As she came down, her legs suddenly collided with a branch that stuck out more than the rest, and her eyes widened as her flip was interrupted.

She was plummeting down headfirst.

Dwyer acted purely on instinct, dashing faster than he ever had in his life. He reached out, and the girl harmlessly fell into his arms.

Unfortunately, just because she was alright...didn't mean he was too.

"Dee-wyer?" she asked, poking the pained butler's cheek. "Are you okay?"

Dwyer, despite of his probably broken back, gave a shaky thumbs up. Groaning, he hoisted himself up and leaned against the trunk of the tree, grimacing. Selkie looked at him with worry and concern, and she wordlessly handed him his healing staff. "I'm really sorry," she apologized as Dwyer began the process of healing himself. "I didn't mean to get you hurt!"

"I know," Dwyer said, the pain slowly disappearing.

"Are you mad at me?"

"No."

Selkie bit her lip. "Are you sure?" she asked?

Dwyer nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure."

Selkie scratched the back of her head. "Sorry if your first day sucks, Dee-wyer."

Dwyer sighed and patted the girl's thigh. "It's _fine,_ Selkie," he reassured her. "And it's _Dwyer,_ not 'Dee-wyer'."

Selkie nodded and helped the butler to his feet. "I'm glad you're not mad at me, Dwyer," she admitted, glancing away. "Some people get really annoyed when I try to play with them."

"Don't worry about it," he said. "You did nothing wrong. Besides, I couldn't just let a pretty girl fall on her head like that."

Selkie froze, a blush appearing across her face before she broke out into a fit of giggles. Dwyer blinked and tilted his head. "Is something the matter?" he wondered. Selkie shook her head, before she leaned in and booped the butler's nose.

"You called me pretty," she told him.

Dwyer was silent for a moment, before he cracked a small smile. "Yeah," he agreed. "I guess I did."

Selkie nodded, before she suddenly grasped Dwyer's hand and began draggin him away. "C'mon!" she cheered. "We gotta introduce you to the others!"

Dwyer allowed the girl to lead him through the fortress, silently admitting that so far...he was kind of enjoying his time here. At least the people he met so far were nice.

...Mitama was up for debate, though.

...

Selkie led Dwyer into what appeared to be the mess hall, throwing open the doors and loudly announcing, "I found the new guy!"

Almost immediately, all eyes present turned to face Dwyer, who shifted uncomfortable underneath their gazes. He never liked being the center of attention. He allowed Selkie to guide him to the table Ophelia and Kana were sitting at. She plopped the young butler down, before turning to the rest of the children. "Well, you can all say hi now!" she told them, giving off a vicious glint in her eyes that warned everyone to do as she said.

The first kid, a ninja with a sucker in his mouth, held his out and let Dwyer shake it. "So you're Jakob's son, huh?" he asked, and the butler nodded. The ninja sucked air in through his teeth. "Ouch," he groaned. "I feel ya, Naps. My dad's a hardass too."

"...Naps?"

The ninja shrugged. "Why not?" he questioned. "You look like the guy who enjoys his naps. Name's Asugi, by the way."

One by one everyone walked up and introduced themselves, and Dwyer did his best to keep track of them all. 'Asugi, Ignatius, Forrest, Hisame, Shiro...'

A girl with long braids approached him and looked up and down. 'Nina,' Dwyer remembered, thinking back on what Ophelia had told him.

Nina then got a rather...creepy grin on her face and she leaned in close to the butler. "Hey..." she began slowly. "I, uh... I know this guy who is a butler as well... I think you two would get along just fine. If you want, I could arrange a meeting for you two?" The tone of her voice suggested something a lot more than _meeting,_ so Dwyer politely declined.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of the one occupant in the room who hasn't come up to greet him. The girl, whose face was hidden under a red hood, stood up and made her way towards the exit, the canine tail at her waist hanging limp. Ophelia noticed her new friend's gaze, and when she followed it she gave a sad smile. "That's Velouria," she explained. "She...prefers not to mingle with us."

"Shame," the mercenary named Soleil sighed. "She's such a cutie, too."

Everyone could nod in agreement.

"Hey!" Everyone turned their heads and saw Sophie standing up with a smile on her face. She pointed at the newest addition to the army. "Maybe Dwyer could talk to her," she suggested. "He's a new face, she might open up a bit!"

Soleil seemed to nod in agreement. Then, a perverted grin began to spread across her face as she winked at Dwyer. "Maybe he could do more than just cheer her up, if you catch my drift." She wiggled her fingers suggestively for emphasis.

"Oh, that sounds like fun!" Kana exclaimed, completely oblivious to Soleil's meaning. "Can I join?"

 _"NO!"_ Everyone shouted, startling the naive princess.

Sophie sighed and turned back to Dwyer. "So, will you do it?" she asked. She gestured to herself and everyone else. "We all want to be friends with her, but she really prefers the company of her 'treasures'."

"Ain't half as bad as Rhajat," the butler heard someone in the back murmur, but he ignored it. Instead he sighed and nodded.

"I guess I have no choice..." he said, ignoring the cries of joy and relief. Soleil smirked and lightly punched his shoulder.

"That's the spirit!" she cheered, before leaning in close. "By the way," she whispered into his ear. "I heard a wolfskin's weakspot is the base of their tail, just in case you're interested~"

...Dwyer decided to pretend that the flirtatious beauty did not just say that...

Ophelia sighed and gave the young butler a pat on the shoulder, telling him not to mind Soleil's...antics.

Dwyer gave the dark mage a brief smile, before he stood up and began walking out of the mess hall. 'Might as well just get this over with,' he thought. 'No need to prolong it.'

He made it about halfway across the courtyard when he was suddenly tackled to the ground by an unknown force. Groaning, he looked up and saw Selkie sitting on his chest, giggling. "I win!" she cheered, before she stood up and helped her new friend (debatable) to his feet. Dwyer rolled his eyes and began brushing his hands over his clothing.

"Mind telling me what that was about?" he asked, plucking a twig from his shaggy blonde hair.

Selkie grinned, and she quickly took hold of his hand and began dragging him gods know where for the second time that day. "Why, taking you to Velouria, of course!" she exclaimed. "I wanna talk to her too, y'know!"

"Why?"

Selkie stopped dragging the boy, and Dwyer saw her face turn serious for the first time since they met. "I love the people here, Dwyer," she told him. "But none of them really get me. I love play more than anything, but I often have no one to play with. Velouria is the only other not-a-human here, so I was hoping she might want to play with me. Daddy once told me that wolfskins weren't as pretty as us, but they could be easily just as playful."

Dwyer slowly nodded, suddenly feeling a pang of guilt for being so annoyed with her earlier. He patted the kitsune's shoulder, and when she looked up she had her smile back. "But enough of that!" she said, dropping the subject. "Let's go find Velouria!"

...

 **And that's chapter two! A couple more characters are introduced, and the search for Velouria begins! Don't forget to review! And remember, stay wykkyd!**


	3. The Wolfskin Chronicles

**I appreciate the favorites and follows, guys! But, uh... Some reviews would be nice? Yeah, I like it when my stories get more and more follows, but how can I tell what anybody actually thinks of the story without any reviews? Not trying to sound like a jerk here, just telling you that I kinda live off of reviews... Good reviews, bad reviews, short reviews, long reviews, etc.**

 **Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**

 **...**

It turns out that Velouria was not in the castle walls, instead Selkie and Dwyer found her resting against a tree in the forest. She couldn't see them, instead she was focused on something in her hand. Dwyer squinted his eyes to make out what it was, but no such luck.

He glanced around, feeling a bit uneasy about the dark aura the entire forest gave off. Hardly any sunlight poked through the thick treeline, and the trees themselves were twisted and gnarled. He had difficulty lifting his feet up, the mud below was thick and heavy. Selkie seemed to share his discomfort, and she shifted closer to him. She shivered as well, and Dwyer noticed that it was because of her bare legs being exposed.

Sighing, the butler reluctantly decided to make a sacrifice. Shrugging off his own jacket, he gave it to the kitsune, much to her confusion. "Dwyer?"

"Tie it around your waist," Dwyer instructed. "It should keep some warmth in your legs."

Selkie nodded and did as she was told. "I didn't think you'd notice..." she admitted.

The sleepy butler shrugged. "I tend to notice a lot of things." he said simply.

They turned back to observe Velouria, who stood up and stretched. Her hood was down now, letting the two see her smile as she pocketed whatever it was she held in her hand. Her tail now wagging, she began trekking through the forest, her eyes never leaving the ground. Selkie once again took hold of Dwyer's hand and began dragging him through the woods, being able to navigate them better than he ever could. Dwyer felt a breeze pass by, and he shivered as it went through his thin shirt.

If Selkie noticed, she paid no mind. Instead she ducked down again, her companion quickly doing the same.

They poked their heads over the log they were hiding behind, and Dwyer nearly threw up when he saw what the wolfskin was holding in her hand. "I-Is that a skull?" he gasped, eyes wide.

Selkie slowly nodded, a rare frown spreading across her features. "Daddy told me about this too," she said. "Wolfskins have a habit of collecting creepy things like dead animals and human remains."

"Why?"

Selkie shrugged, not answering.

The wind picked up again from behind them, once more blowing right through Dwyer's thin clothing. He willed himself not to shiver again, but Selkie picked up again this time. She tilted her head. "Dwyer, you're cold?" she asked, sounding concerned.

"It's nothing," the butler assured, turning to face her.

Selkie was still for a moment, before she began to untie the jacket around her waist. She held it up for Dwyer, but he shook his head. "I gave that to you, Selkie," he protested. "I'll be fine, really."

Selkie pouted. "Dwyer, you put this on right now or so help me!" She inched it closer to him, but Dwyer backed away.

"I told you, Selkie, it's nothing!"

"If you get a cold I'm eating you myself!" Selkie threatened, baring her teeth.

Dwyer blinked. "...do kitsune even eat people?"

"I don't know!" Selkie growled. "Wanna be the first to find out? Take the stupid jacket, Dwyer!"

"No."

Selkie sighed in frustration. "Why not?" she asked.

Dwyer allowed a ghost of a smile to appear. "What kind of gentleman would I be if I let a pretty lady be exposed to the cold?"

Another blush appeared on the fox-girl's face. She glanced away, then back at him. "Dwyer..." she breathed.

Dwyer let his smile grow bigger. "Yes, Selkie?"

 _SMACK!_

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" she shouted as she finished smacking his head. "What kind of pretty lady would I be if I let a gentleman freeze his not-furry butt off?!"

"What are you two doing here?" a new voice hissed, startling the arguing duo. Glancing up, they saw Velouria standing over them, her hands on her hips. When they didn't answer, she raised an eyebrow. "Well?"

Briefly, Dwyer took note of the single streak of hair that was a different color than the rest, just like Selkie's. He cleared his throat before speaking. "We were looking for you," he explained simply.

Velouria scoffed. "Why?"

"We were just curious about you," Selkie said, further explaining. "We were hoping you would wanna play with us?"

'Your words, not mine,' Dwyer thought.

Velouria sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "You have a reputation of playing too rough, Selkie," she reminded her fellow shape-shift. Then she turned her gaze back to Dwyer. "And you. You're the new guy from earlier."

Dwyer nodded. "Yeah, I am," he said. He held out his hand. "My name's Dwyer."

The wolfskin didn't shake it. "Velouria," she introduced. She turned around and began walking away. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to get back to work."

"Work?" Selkie echoed, pouting again. "But work is sooo boring!"

Velouria turned back around and glared at the kitsune, earning a yelp from the girl. "My work is not boring!" she denied. "I am hunting for treasure, alright?"

This caught Dwyer's attention. "Treasure?" he repeated, earning a nod from Velouria.

Selkie's bright attitude immediately returned. "You're going on a treasure hunt?!" she asked, enthusiastically bouncing up and down. "Can we come? Can we come? Can we come?"

Velouria seemed surprised. She began shifting uncomfortably. "You...you wanna help me find treasure?" she questioned, rubbing her arm.

"If you'll let us," Dwyer replied.

Velouria seemed to think about it for a moment, before she took a deep breath and nodded. "Very well," she said. "If you want to help me, that's fine." She dug a hand through one of her pockets and pulled something out. "Take this as a token of appreciation."

Dwyer stared at it for a moment, frowning. "It...It's a lizard skeleton." he noted. 'Is this some kind of joke?' he thought. 'Is this some sort of prank they do on the new kid?'

"Yes it is," Velouria stated proudly. She began pointing at it. "Just look at how preserved it is, have you ever seen anything so intact?" She blushed, leaned down and inhaled the scent deeply. "I found this just before I saw you two, I thought it was beautiful. And now, it's yours."

"Um..." Dwyer struggled to say something. He glanced at Selkie for help, but the poor girl seemed just as lost as he was. Sighing, he turned back to Velouria and attempted to give a convincing smile. "Thanks, but I can't accept this," he declined. "You found it, you should keep it. I, uh... I'll find my own. Yeah..."

Velouria tilted her head, before nodding slowly. "If that's what you wish," she said, pocketing the lizard's skeleton. She then turned around and began walking away. She paused after a couple of steps, and turned around to face the other two. "Well, aren't you coming?" she asked. "There's a whole world of treasure out there, just waiting to be discovered."

"Dwyer, I'm not sure about this," Selkie whispered out of the corner of her mouth. "Her treasures aren't exactly...treasure-y."

Dwyer nodded, but whispered back, "Hey, if we go along with this she might open up more." He smiled a bit. "Besides, who knows whn you'll get another chance to play with her?"

At the mention of the word 'play', all doubt Selkie had vanished in an instant. She leaped into action, grabbing the butler's hand and dragging him after the wolfskin. Velouria waited for the two to catch up, before continuing her treasure hunt.

Despite what the treasures actually were, Dwyer couldn't help but admit that the search for these things was...kind of fun. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Selkie eagerly holding up a dirty old rag, waving it in front of her fellow shape-shift's face. Velouria closed her eyes and inhaled the scent, nodding in approval as she did so. Selkie cheered and immediately sprinted away to find more 'treasure.'

Dwyer chuckled to himself and bent down, gingerly picking up a rat skull with his thumb and index finger. He inspected it for a moment, before he called Velouria over to look at it. The wolfskin was at his side in an instant, plucking the skull from his hand and stuffing it in her pocket. However, she soon bit her lip and pulled the skull back out, handing it to Dwyer.

"You found it," she said. "You should have it."

Dwyer shook his head. "We're not here for our own treasures, Velouria," he told her. "We just want to help you find some more items for your collection."

Velouria's ear twitched snd she glanced away. "But why?" she asked him.

Dwyer blinked. "Why what?"

Velouria sighed and sat against one of the many gnarled trees. She patted the spot next to her, and Dwyer slowly took his seat. Velouria looked down, her hood covering most of her face. "I know you humans are often not fond of the things I'm fond of," she murmured. "I don't really understand why, but that's not the point." she glanced back up at him. "Why help me find my treasures when you humans are so disgusted by them...?"

There was a hint of sadness in her voice, one that told Dwyer a lot about what the girl felt. He could almost view her life story right now. A girl eagerly showing something she would enjoy, like snake skin or a moldy boot, to all the other children, only to be heartbroken when those children turned their heads away in disgust. Dwyer frowned, now realizing that he and Selkie were more than likely the first kids to try to understand her hobby.

"Why?" he echoed. "That's a simple question with a simple answer..." He put a hand on her shoulder. "It's because Selkie and I just want to be your friends, Velouria. And so does everyone else."

Velouria's face turned beet red. "I-Is that true?" she stuttered, still expressing her doubt.

"Why else would we be out here?" Dwyer responded, gesturing to the surrounding forest. "A dark, spooky forest without any clue where we are."

Velouria chuckled and nodded slowly. She gave the young butler a genuine smile, before lightly punching his shoulder. "You're a nice guy, Dwyer," she complimented. "I wish there were more guys like you out there."

Dwyer scoffed. "That's a horrible idea," he deadpanned.

Velouria shrugged. The two then sat there in a comfortable silence, neither having anything else to say. Dwyer leaned his head back and thought about all that has happened so far since his very short time here in the castle. He met a bunch of wonderful new people (except maybe Mitama), got a crappy new room, and was now stuck in a forest with two shape-shifts hunting for animal skulls and dirty, abandoned clothing.

He was kind of glad to have left that sleepy village. Dwyer then frowned, his mind drifting back to memories of the invisible soldiers killing his caretakers. Yeah, he was mad that the surviving caretakers ditched him, but something about those attackers through him for a loop. What the hell were they? No one had given him an explanation yet, hell, he had no idea what this war he was suddenly in was even about!

"Hey, Velouria?"

The wolfskin turned to the sleepy butler. "Yeah, Dwyer?"

"Why are we in this war?" he asked. "No one ever gave me a reason."

Velouria was silent for a few moments before she sighed heavily. "It's really hard to explain..." She paused, thinking over her next words. "Our enemy...isn't from this world, Dwyer."

The invisible soldiers..."Are they ghosts or something?" he asked, settling into a surprisingly comfortable spot between the tree's roots.

Velouria shrugged. "Not exactly," she said. "It's like...they're not who they used to be." She shook her head. "It's hard to explain, Dwyer... You're better off asking someone of the royal family. The only other way to explain it is that this whatever it is, it's the real reason behind Hoshido and Nohr's tension."

...what the heck was she talking about?

Dwyer just pretended to understand, nodding along with what she was saying. He sighed and stared ahead, noticing that something about the scenery seemed...off. He squinted his eyes, scanning over the forest in front of him for whatever it was that was bugging him.

Then it hit him like a sack of bricks.

"Velouria," he called. "Where's Selkie?"

Velouria froze, and she quickly scanned the area. "Uh..." she struggled. "That's...a good question."

"Selkie?" Dwyer called out, rising to his feet. "Selkie, where are you?"

"Selkie!" Velouria joined in, cupping her hands around her mouth. "Selkie, you around?"

Silence.

Dwyer gritted his teeth. 'Where could she be?' he wondered. 'I hope she isn't too far away...'

Thankfully, Selkie didn't stay lost for very long.

However, Dwyer was now face first in the mud, Selkie sitting on top of him. Her tail was wagging, and she pumped her fists in the air and shouted, "I win again!"

The kitsune had apparently been hiding in the trees, and had tackled Dwyer to the ground. Velouria stood behind the two, giggling into her hand. She shook her head and told Selkie to get off of the poor butler. Selkie jumped off of her downed friend, yanking him up by the shoulders and brushing some mud off of him. She frowned and looked the boy up and down.

"Sorry, Dwyer," she apologized. "I guess I got you kinda dirty."

'Kinda?' Dwyer looked at his clothes, noticing that they were now drenched in mud. He sighed, shaking his head. "It's fine..." he muttered. "Guess I should be heading back now, though."

"We'll take you back," Velouria volunteered. "It's the least I can do, since you decided to treasure hunt with me, after all..."

Dwyer nodded, and the trio began making the trip back to the castle. Selkie offered the butler his jacket once again, and despite his shivering due to the cold mud, Dwyer declined once more. Selkie frowned, but didn't push it like last time.

The trip lasted a total of about half an hour, and the sun was already beginning to set by the time they arrived at the castle gate. Selkie waved up to her father, who was in charge of the gate this time. He waved back before turning the crank, allowing the gate to open. The trio stepped inside, and immediately began leading their new comrade to the bathhouses.

However, the three were blocked. Velouria and Selkie seemed confused, but the look on Dwyer's face was one of worry. Jakob looked his son up and down, sneering at his son's ruined clothing.

Dwyer sighed. "Father, I-"

"Where have you been?" Jakob seethed, sending shivers down the spines of the children. "You were supposed to introduce yourself to the army and begin your chores, and yet I find you missing. And when you come back, your clothing is beyond ruined!" His raged eyes somehow became more intense. "What do you have to say for yourself?!"

Dwyer was silent for a few moments, before he slowly answered his father. "I was helping a friend," he said, turning back to look at Velouria. The wolfskin's ears perked up, and another light blush flushed across her pale features. Dwyer turned back to his father. "We were in the forest, and I slipped and fell into some mud."

Jakob scoffed and shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose and muttering something along the lines of, "Worthless oaf..." Jakob then took a deep breath, then pointed at the bathhouse. "Go clean yourself up, boy," he ordered. "Dinner will be served in two hours, and feeding an army is a lot of work." He leaned in close and jabbed a finger into his son's chest. "You better be there ready to cook food for everyone, son. If I find out you've been slouching, I'll send you back to that sleepy village for as long as I see fit!"

He walked away without giving his son a chance to answer. "Honestly, it's only been a day..." they heard him muttering. "Ugh...he's not ready..."

An awkward silence blanketed over the three, until Velouria finally broke the ice. "So..." she began. "That was your father?"

Dwyer nodded. "Yeah."

Selkie bit her lip and shuffled her feet. "He didn't seem very nice," she admitted.

Dwyer nodded. "Yeah."

Velouria sighed and shook her head. "I don't know if I could live with a guy like that..."

Selkie hummed in agreement. "I've heard rumors about Jakob," she said. "About how rude and mean he is, but I didn't know they were true." She turned to Dwyer. "Are...you okay?"

Dwyer nodded. "I'm fine," he answered. "You get used to it after awhile." He sighed and began walking away. "Anyway, I should probably get to taking a bath. I'll see you both at dinner."

"Okay..." Selkie agreed, before scampering away.

Velouria hung back a bit longer, and after a moment of hesitation she pulled the butler into a hug, not caring about the mud between them.

Dwyer's eyes widened. "V-Velouria?"

Velouria smiled and held the boy a bit longer. "Thanks," she whispered. "I had a nice time today..."

Dwyer smiled and patted the girl's back. "Glad to hear it..."

The two pulled away, and Velouria waved goodbye before she hurried after Selkie. Dwyer stared after the two shape-shifters before sighing. Shaking his head, he made his way to the bathhouse. 'Dwyer, you're too dang nice,' he told himself.

His thoughts shifted towards his father, causing the young butler to frown. He never could quite pinpoint why his father had such a low opinion of him, it seemed like he had always been that way. Dwyer liked to think that his father was kind and caring once, but perhaps the competition of who was the better butler got to his head, turning him into this spiteful person.

Everything was a competition between the two, it seemed. And JAkob was the kind of man who would do anything to win, such as putting down his own son's dignity. For as long as he could remember, Dwyer had been receiving the blunt end of Jakob's words, and he struggled everyday to prove himself to his father. Eventually, Dwyer realized that nothing he did worked, so he just accepted it all. He became lazy sometime around then, which did nothing to improve his relationship with his father. Dwyer had told himself that it didn't matter. He knew he was the better butler, he knew he was the better human being, and he sure as hell knew he made better coffee than his father.

Dwyer wanted to believe he could hate his father, but he knew that despite everything, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

He was just too damn nice for his own good.

"Maybe I should speak with Mother about this," he muttered under his breath as he sank into the water. He loved his mother dearly, because unlike his father, she fully supported him. Honestly, Dwyer couldn't ask for a better shoulder to lean on than her.

He frowned as he began washing himself, realizing that all of this had occurred on the first day of his arrival.

'Welcome to the army,' he cheered sarcastically.

...

 **So in case you haven't noticed, there's sort of a pattern going on right now. See, I don't want this to be a story where Dwyer is a complete stud and all the girls want to f*ck him, I want it to be a real story with actual reasons for each girl's attraction. So basically, the next few chapters are all pretty much gonna focus on one girl's first "meeting" with Dwyer, to build some level of familiarity and friendship between them before diving into the really juicy part of the plot. So far three have been done: Ophelia, Selkie, and Velouria. So who is next? Wait until the next chapter!**

 **Also updating may slow down a bit :( Winter has come, and the snow really screws with the internet here.**

 **ALSO DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! (and stay wykkyd.)**


	4. Sophie, So Fine

**Well this story has been becoming more popular lately XD Niiiiice... I'm super glad you've all been enjoying it so far! So, who is the lucky girl this chapter? ;) Well, uh...can't exactly tell you that! I like surprises!**

 **Anyway, it may be awhile before I have the chance to upload again, so enjoy this chapter in the meantime, everyone!**

...

"Dwyer~"

The sleepy butler groaned, throwing the blanket over himself in a fruitless attempt to block out the voice that was oh-so-rudely intruding on his sleep time.

"Dwyerrrrrr~"

Dwyer gritted his teeth and covered both ears with his pillow.

"DWYER!"

"GO AWAY!" he shouted, throwing the pillow at the intruder. It hit the person with a satisfying _thud,_ and he settled down onto the now bare mattress, content at last.

"But Dwyer!" Ophelia gasped from her spot outside his window. "Your father is coming, and he doesn't look happy!"

In an instant, Dwyer shot himself out of bed and began straightening the room, still in his PJ's. "Shit," he murmured under his breath, before turning to the dark mage outside. "Ophelia, what time is it?" he asked.

Ophelia glanced away, then turned her eyes towards the sun. She bit her lip, before she sighed and quietly answered, "At least half past noon..."

As if on cue, Dwyer's door was kicked open, causing the two children to jump. Dwyer slowly turned around, coming face to face with the steaming face of his father.

"Father-"

"DON'T speak!" Jakob snarled, shoving a broom into his son's hands. "You were supposed to be up _hours_ ago!" he sighed and gestured to the boy's current state of dress. "Get dressed, boy," he ordered. "You'll be on chore duty for the rest of the day, and maybe that will teach you some responsibility."

With a sigh of frustration, Jakob left Dwyer's quarters, leaving the younger butler and the dark mage on their own.

Dwyer was silent for a few moments, before he turned to Ophelia and shrugged. "I guess I'll see you later?" he said.

Ophelia looked rather down before slowly nodding. "Yeah..." she muttered. "Later..."

"Ophelia?"

The daughter of Odin Dark lifted her head, her eyes connecting with Dwyer's. "Yes, Dwyer?" she asked.

The sleepy butler gave her a soft smile. "See you at dinner, promise," he told her.

A flutter came from Ophelia's chest, and she blushed and nodded. "Yeah," she repeated, more like her usual preppy self. "Dinner!"

She then began to skip away, waving goodbye to her new friend. Dwyer raised his hand in farewell as well, before he sighed and slowly began to peel off his sleepwear, not noticing the hidden woman staring at him from afar.

"Mmm~" She grinned and licked her lips, her lust filled eyes never parting from the sight of Dwyer's surprisingly lean, muscular body.

A few minutes later, Dwyer buttoned up his coat and slid on his gloves. He then pulled on his boots, before he grabbed the broom that his father gave him. Staring at it for a couple of moments, he shook his head and rested it against his shoulder as he threw open his door, allowing the sunlight to bathe him. He blinked a few times, waiting for his eyes to adjust. When they did, he stepped outside and stretched his body.

It had been three days since he joined Lord Corrin's army, and Dwyer had managed to already settle into a routine. Wake up, eat breakfast, do chores, nap, visit friend, nap again, finish chores, eat dinner, go to bed. However, the night before had been rough for the poor butler. He had been forcibly dragged into his first battle by his father, and the constant need to heal his allies, all while ducking and weaving past enemy attacks, really took its toll on him.

So really, it was his father's fault that he was so tired this morning...

Dwyer sighed. 'C'mon, Dwyer,' he thought. 'Who are you kidding?'

The inside walls of the castle were much, _much_ bigger than Dwyer had originally thought. He guessed that he shouldn't have been surprised by that point, with the whole existence of dragons and pocket dimensions and such, but he hadn't expected to find so much space.

Of course, this meant a lot more cleaning.

Dwyer bit his lip as he set the broom down, having reached the first hallway of the day. He noted all of the mud present, on the floors, the walls, _even the ceiling!_ The young butler pinched the bridge of his nose and reminded himself to always make sure Selkie is never indoors. Seriously, for a girl who is part of a species that loved being clean and beautiful, Selkie sure had a habit of making a complete mess of things.

Realizing that the broom was going to be completely useless, Dwyer turned himself around and searched for a broom closet. He eventually found one, but it turned out to be empty. Growling in frustration, he slammed the door shut, before storming back over to the muddy hallway and mockingly sweeping at it with the broom.

"Thanks, Father," he sarcastically murmured. "Just send me to clean up some mud with something that can't even do that!"

"Dwyer, what's wrong, honey?"

Dwyer nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of his mother's voice. He whipped around to find his mother, Charlotte, trying to hold back her chuckles as she had witnessed her son jump as high as a frightened cat.

Dwyer blushed and began shuffling awkwardly. "Mother..." he sighed. "Don't sneak up on me like that." He ran a hand through his hair, which was the exact same shade of blonde as Charlotte's.

Charlotte smiled. "Sorry, Dwyer," she apologized, before her face grew more serious. "As I was saying before, what's wrong?"

Dwyer shrugged, then waved his hand towards the mud-covered hallway. "Just a bit of chore trouble," he explained. "Father gave me a broom to clean up Selkie's mess... It's not going so well..."

Charlotte clicked her tongue as she observed the scene, shaking her head lightly. "That stubborn man..." she said to herself, before taking the broom from her son. "Here," she offered. "Let me get this hallway, you can go focus on something else."

Dwyer shook his head and tried to take the broom back, but Charlotte held it out of his reach. "It's alright, Mother..." he assured her. "You don't have to burden yourself..."

"It's no burden," Charlotte insisted. "You just go enjoy a funner chore, son." She then grinned, "And if your father decides to lecture you again, you just let me know. I'll whip him to shape for you." She smashed her fist against her palm, emphasizing her point.

As hilarious as it would be to see his father get beaten up by his mother, Dwyer wasn't sure that was the right way to do things. "You don't have to do that," he said. "I'll be fine." He began walking away before he turned back to his mother, his smile back on his face. "Thanks, Mother. I promise I'll make you some coffee later."

"How thoughtful!" Charlotte praised. "You know how much I like your coffee, Dwyer!"

Dwyer felt his spirits lift thanks to his mother's praise, and he gave her a grateful nod before departing. The moment he turned the corner though, he heard his mother curse under her breath. The sleepy butler chuckled and shook his head. Some people never changed...and he was glad his mother was one of those people.

Stepping outside, he stretched again as his eyes scanned the area for something to do. He couldn't spot his father anywhere, which he guessed was a good thing. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the stables were empty. Shrugging, he figured that maybe there was something there he could take care of. He wasn't much of a horse person, but he still knew a thing or two. Back in the village, one of his caretakers owned a couple of horses, and had taught the butler how to ride one. Dwyer eventually gave it up, but thinking back, he could see the advantages of healing atop horseback.

When he reached the stables, the stench of dung seemed to sock him right in the face. Reeling back and choking on air, Dwyer quickly lifted his shirt up and used it to block his nostrils. 'Good Gods!' he thought. 'Does no one consider cleaning this up?'

As if to add some comical effect to the situation, the wind picked up and caused a tumbleweed to blow past the young butler.

Dwyer was not amused, however.

Sighing, he realized that this was the chore he somehow managed to stumble upon. No use complaining about it now. Grabbing a shovel, he hurried around and grabbed a bag he could dump all of the feces into. Positioning it against a post in a way that caused it to remain open, he shoveled the first piles and hurriedly dropped it all in the bag.

He continued doing this for several minutes, but someone seriously must've neglected keeping the stables clean, as the amount of feces was much bigger than Dwyer had originally been expecting. Shaking his head, he murmured, "Life is just full of surprises, isn't it?"

He was about half way done when he heard a neigh in the distance. Straightening, Dwyer listened, and when he heard it again it was a lot closer. He could hear galloping, which was quickly followed by a shrill shriek.

"AVEL! NOOOOO!"

'Avel?' Dwyer wondered. 'Why does that seem so-'

His thoughts were interrupted by the feeling of a powerful set of jaws clamping down on his right arm.

'...familiar...' Dwyer finished, scrunching his face in pain. Glancing up, he saw a large horse lazily chewing on his arm, not a care in the world.

The butler frowned and attempted to pull his arm out of the animal's mouth, but to no avail. Sighing, he gave up his struggles and allowed the horse to keep chewing. He turned to it and narrowed his eyes. "Can you please let go of my arm?" he asked. "It's very painful."

The horse flicked its ears, but otherwise ignored Dwyer.

"Avel!" Turning his head, Dwyer saw Sophie approaching them, a stern scowl on her face as she wagged her finger at the horse as if it was a dog. "That's a bad horse!" she scolded. "Don't run off like that again!"

Despite meeting her on his first day, Dwyer never really spoke to Sophie. In fact, he then realized that he still hadn't properly introduced himself to most of the army, electing to spend time with Ophelia, Velouria, Selkie, and Kana. Occasionally Asugi, when the previous four were busy.

Sophie was so busy with her horse that she didn't even notice Dwyer until he cleared his throat. "Could, uh... Could use some help." he said, waving his free hand. Sophie turned to Dwyer, and her eyes widened as her hands shot up towards her mouth.

"Oh my gosh, Dwyer!" she gasped. 'I-I-I am _terribly_ sorry for all this! A-Avel was just exercising, a-and..." She stopped, and in an effort to save herself from embarrassment she turned back to her horse. "That's a bad boy, Avel!" she hissed. "Spit Dwyer out this instant!"

The horse stared at its master with a bored expression, before it reluctantly let go of Dwyer. The butler let out a sigh of relief as the horse did so, rubbing his arm vigorously in order to restore life to it. Sophie bit her lip and rubbed her arm as well, though rather out of awkwardness rather than pain. "I'm really sorry, Dwyer..." she apologized. "I hope he didn't hurt you too bad..."

Dwyer stared at the large hole in his sleeve, but he decided to ultimately ignore it. "It's alright," he said, patting the girl's shoulder. "That's some horse you got there..."

Sophie nodded and rubbed Avel's neck. "Yeah," she agreed. "He's a huge handful, but I guess I wouldn't trade him for anything in the world." She frowned once more. "I just wish I could be better at controlling him, though... Father always makes it look so easy, yet I'm still here struggling..." She sighed, then realized that she was rambling. She offered a quick apology to the boy, but then noticed Dwyer's torn sleeve. "Dwyer!" she exclaimed, pointing at the large hole. "Your sleeve!"

Dwyer glanced down at it, before he shrugged. "It's nothing."

"A-Are you sure?" Sophie asked. "I could go get a sowing kit right now, and we could patch it up!"

Dwyer shook his head. "That's kind of you, but you don't have to," he declined. "I'm sure Ophelia will be able to fix it later."

"Oh..." Sophie murmured, looking down. "Okay then... That's good, then."

Dwyer noticed the shift in the mood, and he raised an eyebrow. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

Sophie shook her head. "It's nothing," she denied. It wasn't long until she disproved that claim. "I just..." she glanced back at Avel briefly. "I always screw things up, and sometimes that makes meeting friends hard. I have a reputation among the other kids as an accident prone, and..." she sighed. "I don't know... I was just hoping that if I could be friends with you, things could be different?"

Dwyer blinked. "That's quite a leap of faith," he remarked. "Y'know, for assuming I'd be different just because I'm new?"

Sophie visibly flinched. "Yeah... You're right."

"You're not wrong, though."

Sophie's eyes widened in surprise, not sure she heard Dwyer correctly. "H-Huh?" she stammered.

Dwyer shrugged. "You're not wrong," he repeated. "I'm not going to treat you any less than I already do just because you're a walking bad luck magnet."

"I..." Sophie didn't know what to say. Her cheeks flushed a bit and she scratched the back of her head awkwardly. "Thank you, Dwyer... That means a lot, coming from you."

Dwyer smiled, and nodded. "Glad to hear it," he said. He glanced away for a few moments, eyes occasionally glancing towards Avel. "You know..." he began. "I could...help you train Avel..."

"R-R-Really?!" Sophie stuttered, not believing all the kindness the butler had been showing so far.

Dwyer turned to the girl. "Avel is a bit out of control, right?" he reminded her, as well as himself. "Maybe your lack of control over him is what's causing all of your insecurities, which in turn causes all of your accidents."

"That...makes a lot of sense..." Sophie sighed. "But do you know anything about horses, Dwyer?"

Dwyer shrugged once again. "I know enough," he answered simply. "I was briefly a troubadour before joining the army, so I know some things about horses."

In an instant, Sophie nearly tackled Dwyer to the ground with a fierce hug. "Oh, thank you, Dwyer!" she cried. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

Dwyer awkwardly hugged the girl back. 'This should be interesting,' he thought, sparing a glance at Avel. The horse had a dark look in his eyes, as if he were threatening Dwyer for being so close to the cavalier.

'Yeah...really interesting.'

...

"Okay, Sophie," Dwyer said, guiding his horse around his new 'student'. "You need to have confidence in yourself, a horse will never follow its rider unless it can trust the rider to make all the right decisions when it counts."

Sophie nodded, mounting her own horse as she stared ahead. Confused, she tilted her head and pointed. "Uh, Dwyer?" she asked. "What's that?"

Dwyer followed the direction her finger was pointing, and smirked. "That," he said, pointing as well. "Is an obstacle course I had Selkie help set up..."

"You can do it, Sophie!" Selkie cheered from some ways away, waving her arms wildly in the air while Velouria, who was standing next to the kitsune, gave a simple thumbs up.

Dwyer sighed before continuing. "It's designed to help you and Avel become a better team. Only by becoming a better team will you be able to reach the end...that target over there." He pointed out the target, a stack of hay with some paint on it. Dwyer then handed Sophie a lance and made his horse back away. "Your goal is to make it through the obstacle course and hit the target."

"Okay..." Sophie said, giving the butler a small nod. "Ready, Avel?" The horse snorted, and in an instant it took off, leaving Sophie completely unprepared. "AVEL!" she shrieked. "WAAAAAIT!"

A few attempts later, and Sophie and her horse had made little to no progress. Dwyer felt his heart break a little when he saw how dejected the young cavalier looked. Approaching her, he sat down next to her, the two simply sitting outside the castle walls, staring at the view.

"Thanks for all your help, Dwyer..." Sophie mumbled, before she pulled her knees up to her chin. "But...maybe it just isn't meant to be. I'm an accident prone, and Avel is uncontrollable." She lowered her hand onto the grass and before to tear at it. "I'm just a sorry excuse for a knight."

"Don't say that, Sophie," Dwyer argued, not wanting to see the girl in such a distressed state. "You'll get it in time... I'm sure of it..."

Sophie scoffed, clearly not believing him.

 _"It's too hard, Father!"_

 _Jakob stared down at the much younger Dwyer, who had once again failed his chores. Sighing, he knelt down and took his son's shoulders. "Son," he started. "Do you know what's the easiest way to get through something hard?"_

 _Dwyer shook his head._

 _Jakob patted the young child's arm. "Think about the end goal," he advised. "The end goal is a reward you get after you completed something hard, like a snack, or playtime, or-"_

 _"A nap?" Dwyer offered._

 _"Yes..." Jakob agreed. "Or a nap..."_

"...an end goal," Dwyer whispered to himself.

Sophie tilted her head. "Huh?" she asked. "I, uh...didn't catch that."

Dwyer stood up and offered the girl his hand. Pulling her up, he said, "Sophie, I want you to try the obstacle course one more time. Just one more!"

"B-But why?" Sophie questioned. "Avel and I were horrible out there..."

"Trust me!" Dwyer pleaded. "I promise you, Sophie! Just one more time!"

"I..." Sophie sighed, and finally nodded. "Okay..."

They now stood in front of the obstacle course again, Sophie mounting Avel like usual. Dwyer approached the duo, motioning for Sophie to lean in. "This time, focus on your end goal," he advised. "When you're going through that course, think about everything you want to be, everything you _and Avel_ want to be, okay?"

Sophie nodded, her face determined now. "Okay," she agreed.

Taking a deep breath, Sophie seemed to assess the course in front of her, before she urged Avel forward into a gallop. The horse neighed and took off, and though originally he veered off course, Sophie managed to steer him back on track. Dwyer noted their performance, smiling brightly when he saw the two working this time as a single unit, like rider and mount should be. The horse and its rider were one, nothing could overcome them. They shared a bond like no other, something that only the two of them could possibly have.

Dwyer saw all of that in Sophie, and he was confident that she saw it too.

Her lance stabbed right through the target. A bulls-eye.

Sophie leaped off of her horse and wrapped her arms around the animal's neck, cheering loudly. Even the horse seemed pleased, neighing his approval. Finally, Sophie broke away from her horse and approached Dwyer, instantly pulling him into another hug. "Thank you, Dwyer," she whispered to him. "I couldn't have done this without you." She leaned in and pecked his cheek, much to Dwyer's surprise and embarrassment. His cheeks turned a bright pink, and Sophie's were as well.

Suddenly the sound of something shattering ruined the moment. Turning around, they saw Avel smashing pots without a care in the world, much to Sophie's horror. "AVEL!" she yelled. She turned quickly to Dwyer, waving to him. "Sorry, Dwyer!" she apologized. "Duty calls!" She sprinted after her horse, shouting, "AVEL! You best have a good excuse for this, mister!"

"...heh," Dwyer grunted, a smirk forming. Shaking his head, he whispered, "Good luck, Sophie."

Some things certainly never changed, he decided. But he knew his job was done now, Sophie and Avel would be able to function as a much better team. Turning around, he decided it was about time to get back to his chores.

After all, he figured he owed the old man a day without trouble.

...

 **I liked this chapter, to be honest. One of my favorites so far. Anywa, I don't know when I'll be able to update on anything next, but hopefully it isn't too long. I know that the next chapter will probably focus on either Kana, Nina, or Soleil, although I can't decide which... Oh well, it should be interesting no matter what. Don't forget to review! And remember, stay wykkyd!**


	5. Master Race Kana

**Well, here's to a new year! Hopefully this one won't be as shitty, but one can never tell. Anyway, sorry for the wait, I've been on vacation for awhile, and I'm just getting back from it. So, hopefully this means I'll be able to pick up everything again. My New Year resolution is to actually get stuff done XD Which is pretty hard to do.**

 **Anyway, you all seemed to like the last chapter, so let's hope that my momentum continues. Enjoy the chapter, everyone!**

 **...**

'Note to self,' thought Dwyer as he served another bowl of piping hot soup. 'Never end up on dinner duty again...'

It was a few hours since his time with Sophie, and right now he was finishing the last of his chores by serving dinner to the entire army. This was probably Dwyer's least favorite job, for several reasons. One, he had to feed an entire _army._ Two, this cut very deep into his potential nap time and overall privacy. Three, it was so damn loud! The poor butler could hardly hear himself think over the din, everyone was constantly talking at once, until it sounded only like a jumbled mess.

Dwyer groaned as he approached Miss Effie's table. The woman had just finished her tenth, yes, _tenth_ bowl, and was demanding for more. The woman wasn't wearing her army, revealing a rather petite figure. It made him wonder how someone of her size could pack in so much food. Dwyer forced a smile on his face as he laid the eleventh bowl in front of Effie, making sure to give a bow like his father had taught him.

"Another bowl of piping hot soup as requested, Miss Effie," he announced.

The knight grinned and immediately began slurping the soup down, uttering something that vaguely sounded like a 'thank you'. Dwyer slid away, already preparing another bowl for the woman. No doubt she'd want another... And another... And another...

"I-Is everything alright, Dwyer?" a voice asked from behind, startling the butler. Dwyer yelped and turned around, accidentally knocking over the pot of soup, its contents spilling out onto the grass.

Felicia, the clumsy maid who had called him, gasped and immediately began bowing repeatedly. "I'msorryIdidn'tmeantopleasedon'ttellyourfatheraboutthis!" she cried in one breath.

Dwyer scratched his ear and raised an eyebrow. "Slow down, please?"

Felicia pouted and kicked the ground. "I was coming over here to help you," she told him. "Since you looked like you were beat. But instead I just made things worse." She looked down. "Like always..."

Dwyer sighed and picked up the pot, placing it back on its original spot. 'Well, no more soup,' he thought, before turning back to the older servant.

"Don't beat yourself up about it, Miss Felicia," he said, patting the woman's shoulder. "We all make mistakes, I'll just make a new pot of soup."

"N-No!" Felicia protested, lightly pushing the butler away. "You've been working really hard, you should take a break. I'll make dinner instead, okay?"

Taking a break seemed so tempting to young Dwyer, and he almost took Felicia's offer until his logical side showed up. Dinner and Felicia never did mix well, the woman was absolutely horrid as a maid, and allowing her to make dinner would only result in apocalyptic disaster. Sighing, Dwyer reluctantly shook his head, lightly shooing away the woman who was _technically_ his superior.

"I've got this, don't you worry." he assured. "You just go continue doing...whatever it was that you were doing."

Felicia pouted more. "B-But-"

"Shhhh..." Dwyer shushed, placing his finger on her lips. "Your husband must be looking for you, correct? Best not keep him waiting."

Felicia thought about it for a moment, before she gave up with a sigh. "I suppose you're right," she muttered, walking away. Dwyer felt just a tad bit guilty for sending the pinkette away, but he knew it was for the best. Running a hand through his hair, he sighed and turned around, coming face to face with his father.

Jakob stared after Felicia with his chin in his hand, before his gaze turned to his son. "You..."

Dwyer glanced away, already expecting another lecture.

"You did a good job."

Dwyer blinked in surprise, turning back to his father with wide eyes. Jakob had a ghost of a smile on his face as he nodded. "You handled that situation well," he praised. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but... I'm...proud of you."

Dwyer smiled as well, dipping his head. "Thank you, Father," he said.

Jakob grunted and turned back to the now empty pot. He glanced around for some ingredients and waved Dwyer away. "I'll handle this," he told the younger butler. "You go take a break, grab some bread for yourself or something."

Dwyer was surprised by his father's kind behavior, even if it felt a little bit distant. Even so, his smile grew and he nodded, walking away with a slight skip to his step. His eyes wandered around the massive mess hall, which extended to the outdoors. He was looking for any sign of his friends, but he couldn't find them.

Frowning, he began weaving through the tables and soldiers, his eyes on the careful lookout for anything he could recognize. Perhaps a red hood, or a fox tail, or half decent haiku.

"Hey, you're Dwyer, right?"

For the second time that night, Dwyer was startled into a jump. He whipped around and was met face to face with... Holy hell, this woman was beautiful! A soft face and gazing red eyes, paired along with hair an equal shade. Dwyer nodded dumbly, before he suddenly caught hold of himself. Clearing his throat, he nodded again, this time more like his usual self.

"I am," Dwyer said. "Why ask?"

"Well..." The woman bit her lip. "You're friends with Kana, right?"

Dwyer nodded. "I am," he confirmed. "Is something the matter?"

"Well, yes," the girl replied. "She...She's over by Lilith's temple, crying. We've tried talking to her, but I don't think she even heard us." She looked him up and down. "Ophelia said you might be able to help."

"Of course she did." Dwyer murmured.

"What was that?"

Dwyer blinked. "Nothing," he told the girl. Sighing, he ran his hand through his hair for a second time, before slowly nodding his head. "Alright...I'll go see what I can do to help Kana..."

"Really?!" the girl gasped, then beamed. "Thank you, Dwyer. Let us know how it goes, okay?"

"Alright," Dwyer agreed.

The girl nodded and began walking away. Suddenly, she paused, glanced over her shoulder and began...fluttering her eyelashes? "Oh, and by the way... My name's Caeldori." she introduced. She gave the butler a flirtatious wink, before she strutted away with a slight sway in her hips.

Dwyer just stood there in confusion, wondering what the hell that was about. 'That was...uncomfortable.' he thought, shaking his head. He then turned around and began exiting the mess hall. 'Lilith's temple, huh?' Alright, Dwyer guessed that he should start heading over there now.

He paused mid step, a sudden realization smacking him in the face. Who the hell was Lilith?!

Sighing, he turned back around and began searching for Lord Corrin or perhaps one of the other royals. Maybe they could tell him who this 'Lilith' was and where her temple was located. He finally caught sight of Lady Elise, who was bouncing up and down for...whatever reason. Sighing, he walked up to her and cleared his throat, catching the young princess's attention.

"Oh, hello, Dwyer!" she greeted cheerfully, still bouncing. It almost reminded Dwyer of Ophelia. "What can I do for you?"

"I was just wondering where Lilith's temple was," Dwyer said. "Whoever that is..."

"Ooooh..." Still bouncing, Lady Elise tapped her chin for a couple of moments, before snapping her fingers. "Well, she's a dragon who lives here, and her temple is located somewhere...east?" She thought about it for a little bit longer. "Yeah... The northeastern corner of the castle. It's reeeally well hidden, so it's easy to miss. Just look for the big rock thing covered in moss with a big tree growing out of it!"

"Thanks," Dwyer said, bowing. He turned around, but Elise called out to him.

"Have you been getting along with my daughter?" she asked him, winking.

Dwyer nearly choked, confused. "D-Daughter?" he repeated.

"Y'know, Ophelia!" Elise explained. "I'm her mother, silly. She never told you?"

Wait, what?! Dwyer would've spat out his drink if he had one. Lady Elise was Ophelia's mother? But the princess looked so...young... Dwyer could've sworn he was actually older than her. Dwyer forced a smile on his face. "I...don't think she ever mentioned it." he told the princess.

Elise briefly looked hurt, but she shrugged and quickly returned to her bouncing.

Dwyer sighed and walked away, sort of wanting to forget that conversation. Seriously, Ophelia's mother was Lady Elise? And that meant... Ophelia was royalty. Dwyer briefly paused his walk, letting that knowledge soak in. Oh gods...would he ever have to serve her? Ophelia was a nice girl, but Dwyer wasn't sure he could handle that sort of life...

Upon reaching the northeastern corner, Dwyer could not see anything that remotely resembled a temple. He growled, wondering if Lady Elise was simply playing a prank on him, when suddenly he heard the soft sound of crying. Standing still, he strained his ears to hear the crying more clearly. Hmm...yeah, it sounded enough like Kana. Now, where was she?

Now that he could make out the crying, Dwyer did see what could vaguely pass off as a temple. He gulped, wondering if there really was a dragon in there. He took a few steps forward, and he caught sight of a red head of hair. Yeah, it was definitely Kana. Taking a step forward, he saw her back turned to him, she was leaning against a stone. Her sobs made her shoulders rise and fall rapidly, it was a pitiful sight.

Dwyer immediately felt his heart sink as he watched the girl, and an instinct to take care of her spread over him. Stepping forward, he leaned down beside her and gently placed his hand on her back. Kana shot her head up, locking eyes with the older child. She frowned and buried her face back into her arms. "Go away..." she muttered.

Dwyer raised an eyebrow, a bit surprised by Kana's response. He sighed and shook his head, turning around and leaning back against the stone, listening to his friend cry some more. "Are you sure you want me to leave?" he asked her quietly. "You shouldn't be crying like this, Kana."

"I said g-go away..." Kana growled, burying her face deeper in her arms. "I don't want to talk about it..."

"Fine, then," said Dwyer. "Then we won't talk about it. You can keep crying and I'll just sit here with you." He turned to look at her. "Sound good to you?"

Kana didn't respond, apparently choosing to ignore the butler. Dwyer shrugged and closed his eyes, taking some time to relax. Maybe she'd be more willing to speak after he had his nap time...

"...Papa...Mama..." Kana choked between her sobs, shaking her head over and over. "Papa...Mama..."

"If you want your parents, they're at the mess hall waiting for you," Dwyer pointed out, his eyes still remaining closed.

Kana sniffed and shook her head. "They...They don't care about me..." she whispered.

"That's not true," Dwyer protested.

"...they're too busy to spend any time with me..."

Dwyer frowned and opened his eyes. "That's doesn't mean they don't care about you," he tried to explain.

Kana continued to cry. "I just...I..." she struggled for the words to come out. Dwyer patiently waited, though his hand did return to the girl's back. Kana seemed to calm down just slightly, and her words came out more clear. "...do you think they'd notice...or even care...if I was...gone?"

Dwyer froze, for a moment not believing what he was hearing. What was Kana saying? Without saying a word, he lifted the girl up, despite her protests. He set her down in front of him, grabbing her shoulder and looking straight into her eyes. "Of course they would," he hissed. "Don't you think that they wouldn't, not even for a second. Your parents love you Kana, you're their little ray of sunshine."

"..and how would you know, Dwyer?" Kana weakly challenged.

The butler smirked. "I people watch on occasion," he explained simply with a shrug. "But please don't cry anymore, Kana..."

Kana bit her lip and glanced away, wiping a couple of tears from her eyes. "I...I think I need some more time alone..." she murmured. Dwyer felt a little disappointed, but he nodded and stood up, preparing to leave the small princess be. However, he was called back, and when he turned around the girl was playing gently with her fingers. "Uh...please don't tell anyone you saw me crying...okay?" she begged, giving him an adorable pout.

The butler shrugged. "It isn't me you should be giving that request to," he admitted. "After all, everyone else saw you cry way before I did."

Kana's eyes widened in horror. "W-WHAT?!" she shrieked. Embarrassed, the girl stood up, more tears leaking out. Sniffling, she shook her head and ran off before Dwyer could respond.

"Kana, wait!" But the girl turned into a dragon and used her wings to lift herself into the air and on top of the castle walls, where she turned back human and sat, her crying continuing, but barely audible. Dwyer gritted his teeth and slapped himself upside the head. "Idiot..." he hissed. "Why'd you say that? You know how sensitive that girl can be."

Sighing, he glanced back up at the wall, before he slowly turned around and walked back to the mess hall, where Caeldori was waiting for him. She immediately noticed his foul mood, and she frowned. "Hey, is something wrong?" she asked. "Is Kana alright?"

Dwyer shook his head. "I might've just made things worse..." he said.

"Oh..." Caeldori looked rather disappointed. "Well...thanks for trying, Dwyer."

"Yeah, yeah..." Dwyer turned around and began walking back to his quarters. Caeldori blinked.

"Where are you going?"

"To bed." the butler replied. "I've had a long enough day..."

The walk back to his quarters was a long one. Throwing open the door, he collapsed onto the bed without bothering to close it. Without looking up, he pointed to the window and said, "Not now, Selkie. Goodnight."

The kitsune girl walked away, grumbling to herself.

Dwyer sighed, and buried his face into the familiar scent of his pillow. Soon enough, sleep overtook him.

...

Eventually, he awoke to the sound of knocking. Groggily, he sat up and turned to his still open door. Someone was standing by it, and when his vision finally started working, the butler could see that it was Kana. Surprised and now fully awake, Dwyer stood up and approached the girl. "Kana?" he asked. "What are you doing here? It's the middle of the night, for Pete's sake..."

Without uttering a word, the dragon child threw herself at the older teenager, wrapping her arms around his waist as she began crying again. Dwyer barely caught his balance, and he looked down at the girl in confusion. "Kana...?"

"I'm scared, Dwyer..." the girl squeaked.

"Scared?" Dwyer echoed, wrapping his arms around the girl and leading her to his bed. He sat her down and sat next to her. "Why?"

Kana sniffed. "B-Because... I know Papa and Mama love me, but..." She bit her lip. "I-I know that this is war... And I-I'm scared that...Papa and Mama might not make it through the war..."

A familiar feeling that Dwyer was sure most, if not all of the children were feeling. After all, there was always a chance of them dying, it was something most of them had accepted.

"A-And... I hate how I c-can't spend as much time with them as I used to..." Kana continued. "B-Because what if they die, and our last memories was something m-meaningless?"

Dwyer wasn't sure what to say, he sure as hell wasn't a therapist. But he needed to comfort his friend somehow.

"Kana..." he began, catching the girl's attention. "I don't have all the answers you want... But I can tell you this." He smiled at her gently. "I promise you, we'll all make it out of this alive."

Kana blushed lightly, and she slowly nodded, taking his words in. Then, she hugged him again, rubbing her head into his chest, much to the boy's embarrassment. "Thank you, Dwyer..." she murmured. "You're the best friend ever..."

"Glad to hear it..." Dwyer said, patting the girl's head. The two stayed like that for several minutes, until KAna broke the silence.

"Hey, Dwyer?"

"Yes, Kana?"

The dragon child blushed a bit but asked her question anyway. "Do you think it would be okay...for me to sleepover tonight?"

Dwyer raised an eyebrow, almost immediately saying 'no'. But he stopped himself and thought about the emotional state his friend was currently in. Sighing, he nodded, much to Kana's relief. Dwyer then laid down in bed, scooting over to leave some room for Kana. Kana happily climbed in, throwing the blankets over herself. She snuggled into them, and let out a satisfied sigh. Dwyer was just hoping the girl didn't snore...

"Goodnight, Dwyer." Kana whispered, closing her eyes.

Dwyer looked over at the girl one last time, and she looked rather peaceful when compared to their last encounter. Smiling a bit, he closed his eyes and nodded. "Yeah. Goodnight."

...

 **I like Kana. She's adorable. Anyway, that chapter is done! Just to clear things up, Kana's mother is Anna. So, the next chapter will be Soleil's chapter, just to give you guys something to look forward to ;) Because c'mon, who doesn't love Soleil?**

 **Don't forget to review! And remember, stay wykkyd!**


	6. Soleil Part 1

**Hello everyone! Welcome back to 'Everyone Loves a Butler', glad to see all of you enjoying the story so far. It's been a blast to write, surprisingly easy too. I guess it's because I kind of relate to a lot of the Fates children, namely Dwyer. Same lazy attitude...same hair, same astounding amount of female friends... Anyway, this is going to be Soleil's chapter, so you know that some crazy (and possibly pervy?) things are going to happen.**

 **Enjoy the chapter, everybody!**

 **...**

When Dwyer opened his eyes, the first thing he felt was a tender, comforting warmth around him. Pressed against his chest, the soft feeling of something rising and falling slowly. Dwyer smiled briefly, the feeling reminding him of his childhood, when his mother would hold him close whenever he was having a nightmare. His eyes opened further, catching sight of the unmistakable head of crimson. Kana murmured something in her sleep, before tightening her arms around the butler. Dwyer raised an eyebrow, but simply shrugged in the end. Today was his free day, he could afford some more sleep.

Closing his eyes once more, he allowed the close contact to continue. His breathing began to sync up with Kana's, and within minutes it lulled him back to the wonderful world of sleep...

Until he heard the giggling.

His eyes shot open, and he turned his head towards the window, and what he saw made him freeze. Ophelia had a large blush covering her face, her hands over her mouth. Selkie was the one that was giggling, having to bite her thumb in order to keep it in. Soleil, on the other hand...

Oh gods, Soleil...

"Wooooow," the flirtatious mercenary whistled. "I was just here so I could be with Ophelia, but...woooooow..." She raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Never knew you were such a ladykiller, Dwyer. And with Lord Corrin's daughter?" She chuckled, as if considering to tell the commander. "I wonder what he'd think of that..."

Now it was Dwyer's turn to blush, and he rapidly shook his head. "I-It's not what it looks like!" he protested. "She was having a bad night, I just let her stay, that's all!"

"You sure you weren't doing more than that, buddy?"

Ophelia's blush grew. "D-Dwyer, how could-"

"Her words, not mine!" the blonde hissed, pointing his finger at Soleil. "It's not my fault her mind is so damn dirty!"

Soleil pouted, folding her arms across her chest. "I'm not dirty minded..." she denied weakly.

Dwyer scoffed, shaking his head. Right about then, Kana began to stir, silencing the bickering teenagers. The young princess opened her eyes and yawned. She sat up, stretched, and yawned a second time. She looked around the room, almost confused about where she was until the previous night's events returned to her memory. She turned to face her friends, blinking. "Morning," she greeted.

"Aw, she looks so cute!" Soleil cooed, disappearing from the window's view. A knock was heard at Dwyer's door moments later, and the butler reluctantly got out of bed to answer it. Opening the door, he didn't have time to greet the new guest before she barged in (rather rudely) and plopped down next to Kana. "So, Kana," she began. "Wanna tell me what was going on between you and Dwyer last night?"

Kana nodded with a smile. "Oh, yes!" she exclaimed. "Y'see, I was having a bad day, and I was having some nightmares too. And since Dwyer's such a good friend, I asked if I could have a sleepover with him!"

'She's too precious for this world,' Soleil thought, standing up and turning back to Dwyer with a sheepish grin. "Hehe, well..." she started, scratching the back of her neck. "Perhaps I _was_ a bit quick to conclusions."

"You think?" Dwyer deadpanned.

"Hahaha..." Soleil chuckled awkwardly and cleared her throat. "Well, I guess we should be getting out of your hair now..." She slowly crept out the door, reappearing at the window and grabbing Ophelia's and Selkie's arms. "We'll be seeing you at breakfast, bye!"

Ophelia still had a blush on her face as she let Soleil lead her away. Selkie turned back to Dwyer and cheerfully waved goodbye, which Dwyer half returned. As soon as the three girls were out of sight, Dwyer shook his head and sighed. "If I'm going to be having to put up with this all the time, the least they can do is pay me." he muttered. "Like an actual butler," he added as an afterthought, placing his hands on his hips.

A stomach growl came from him, and Dwyer just then remembered that he practically skipped dinner the night before. Kana tilted her head cutely. "Should we go get breakfast?" she asked.

"Yeah," Dwyer replied. "Though, you should probably go find your parents first. They were probably worried about you."

Kana hummed in agreement, sliding off of Dwyer's bed and heading towards the door. She turned around to look at her friend, a soft smile on her face. "I'll see you at breakfast, then!"

"Yeah."

He heard the door open, then close behind him, signalling that Kana was gone. Sighing, Dwyer sat back down on his bed, lazily attempting to rid himself of his remaining sleepiness. 'It was far too early for all of that,' he thought, running a hand through his shaggy blonde hair. His stomach growled again, making him frown. 'Well, guess I have to go interact with society now...'

After straightening out his clothing and making sure that his room was still clean, Dwyer decided that he was now ready to leave. Stepping outside, he blinked at the morning sun, before making his way to the mess hall.

Soleil was...an interesting character, to say the least. They had only met a few times, but Dwyer could already tell that she wasn't the kind of person he'd love to spend a lot of time with. The girl was too...wild for his tastes. And that was saying something, considering his growing friendships with half the people he has met. Oh well... Just another part of army life, Dwyer figured he might as well start getting used to it. He has been here for a couple of days, after all...

The sound of common chatter alerted him that he was now at the mess hall, and when he looked up he saw the annoyed expression that belonged to his father, who was currently manning the kitchen. "Well," the older butler began curtly. "Aren't you going to ask for anything? You've been standing there for two minutes now."

'Has it really been that long?' Dwyer sighed and shrugged. "Sorry, Father," he apologized. "Just thinking about stuff."

"Like what?"

Now _this_ made Dwyer tilt his head. "Since...when do you care about what I'm thinking?" he asked, genuinely confused.

Jakob scoffed and flicked his son's forehead, his expression sour. "Am I not allowed to show concern for my own flesh and blood, is that it?" he challenged.

Dwyer shook his head in protest. "Of course not, I just..." He trailed off, before he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Mother is making you do this, isn't she?"

Jakob scoffed once more and denied it, though the look in his eyes easily gave it away. The two butlers stared awkwardly at each other for a few moments, before Dwyer pointed at something on the menu. "An...omelet would be nice..."

Jakob looked partially annoyed at his son's choice, but he sighed and retreated into the kitchen. Dwyer quickly moved towards an empty table, eager to escape that awkward atmosphere that had formed between father and son. 'What was that all about?' he wondered. Glancing around, he couldn't catch sight of his friends, further dampening his mood. 'Guess I'm eating alone today...'

Within minutes, the young butler was bored, his face buried in his arms as sleep threatened to blanket over him. Didn't sound like that bad of an idea, now that he thought about it...

Then he heard someone sit down from across him, causing him to open his eyes and glance up. He saw Soleil in front of him, a friendly smile spreading across her features. Dwyer sighed internally, straightening himself up and staring at the girl with disinterest. "Can I help you?" he asked, a tad bit rude.

Soleil was quick to pick up on the sleepy butler's tone, and she crossed her arms and frowned. "Yeesh, Dwyer," she mumbled, glancing away. "You're never going to get a girlfriend with that kind of attitude."

"That's honestly the very least of my worries," Dwyer said, rolling his eyes.

Soleil sighed and shook her head. "You're pretty hard to work with..." she grumbled.

"Did you say something?"

Soleil shook her head quickly. "What?! Pff..." She waved him off with her hand. "You're imagining things, Dwyer."

An eyebrow raised. "Right..."

Soleil's face suddenly turned serious, secretly surprising Dwyer. The mercenary took a deep breath before she spoke. "Listen, Dwyer," she began. "I...I'm sorry for what happened earlier this morning, I know you don't like being put on the spot like that."

"Forgiven," Dwyer stated, turning his head to see when his omelet was arriving. Seeing that it still wasn't ready, he turned back to Soleil and began to stand up. "Listen, Soleil, I'm not really in the mood to-"

"W-wait!" Soleil squeaked. "Just hear me out first, okay?"

After a few moments, Dwyer reluctantly sat back down, and motioned for Soleil to speak. "I know I haven't really been the most..." Soleil licked her lips as she searched for the right word. "... _considerate_ person to you since you've arrived, but I never meant to make you feel bad or anything! I'm just...not exactly the smoothest gal outside of my flirting, y'know?"

"If you're about to ask me for permission to flirt, let me stop you right there," Dwyer deadpanned, raising his hand.

"T-That's not it!" Soleil protested, shaking her head. A light blush appeared on her cheeks. "What I'm trying to say is that I want to make it up to you! For all the lost time we missed out on!" She bit her lip. "Do you think we can please start over?"

Oh, great... Now Dwyer felt like a major jerk for not considering Soleil's side of the story. He scolded himself for being inconsiderate, which was breaking Gentleman Rule number one. He took a deep, breath, staring at the girl in front of him. What he saw...surprised him. In front of him was not the flirtatious, cocky warrior everyone knew, but an ordinary girl just trying to reach out to someone. Dwyer chewed the inside of his lip, before nodding slowly.

"Alright, Soleil..." he finally agreed. "I should apologize too, for being a blunt jerk all the time."

"Aw, it's okay," Soleil assured with a pleasant smile. "Don't apologize for being yourself! It's what makes you you, silly!"

Dwyer allowed a ghost of a smirk to form. "Alright then," he agreed. "But perhaps you should follow your own advice, Soleil."

"Heh..." Soleil laughed quietly and winked. "You're a pretty cool guy, Dwyer. Nowhere near being a cute girl..."

"I hope not..."

"...but you're pretty handsome if I squint," she teasingly finished.

A faint blush appeared on Dwyer's face, and he glanced away awkwardly. "Where the hell is that omelet?" he wondered out loud. "Father, please be reliable just this once..."

...

A few days had past since that incident, and Dwyer had to admit that Soleil wasn't nearly as bad as he originally perceived. The girl was still definitely out there, but so were most of his friends. The flirtatious mercenary still teased him, there was no stopping that, but at least she put some consideration into it.

All in all, like he had with many others, Dwyer quickly learned to just simply accept Soleil's antics, and for the most part it had been pretty successful.

Or at least, until today.

"I still don't see why I have to be dragged along..." the sleepy butler muttered as Soleil dragged him with her by his sleeve.

"Because, Dwyer!" she answered. "We're buds now! And being buds means we oughta bond in some way, right?"

"Alright, I can get that," Dwyer said, glancing around. "I just don't get why it has to be _here_ of all places..."

Since yesterday morning, the army had left the safety of the castle to continue on their march, and earlier today they had reached a peaceful town to rest at and relax. However, perhaps peaceful and relaxing weren't the words Dwyer would've used. Soleil had found a pamphlet containing all of the town's various activities, including something called 'The Arena'. Naturally, the mercenary decided to make today a 'friend date', and thus they were now standing in front of The Arena.

"Because I've been hearing some nasty little rumors floating around about you being a master martial artist," Soleil explain, giving her friend a thumb's up. "Believe me, that's not something I'm going to miss!"

"I hate to disappoint you, but those are all just exaggerations," Dwyer said, shrugging off the praise. "Yeah, my father gave me some training, but what's that going to do against enemies that have armor, weapons, magic, horses, dragons, and a whole number of things?"

"Huh..." Soleil grunted, tapping her chin. Finally she shrugged. "So? There aren't going to be any dragons in there, c'mon!" She gave the butler her best puppy eyes. "Can we please just check it out, please?!"

Dwyer tried to look away, but his weak willpower failed. Sighing, he reluctantly nodded, and allowed the cheering mercenary to drag him inside what he was sure was going to be the end of him.

The man sitting at the front desk seemed a bit surprised to see two young teenagers entering. He cleared his throat and asked, "you kids watching today?"

"Nope!" Soleil declared. "We're looking for a match to compete in!"

The man's eyes bulged, and he coughed. "You kids are...sort of young..."

Soleil narrowed her eyes. "And what does age have to do with being an awesome warrior?" she challenged, intimidating the poor man.

"N-Nothing, ma'am! Let's see..." The man began flipping through a time log, murmuring things to himself. "Ah, it seems we have one more match available!" He pulled out a contract, pointing at the line towards the bottom. "If you two would sign here, please..." He handed Soleil a feather, which she gladly took and dipped in ink, signing her name on the line without hesitation. She then passed it to Dwyer, who kept glancing from it to the paper he was apparently supposed to sign.

'I'm signing away my soul,' he told himself. 'This thing's a death waiver...'

Still, when he glanced up and saw Soleil eagerly waiting for him to sign, he realized that he basically had no choice. If he walked away, Soleil would be left alone with...gods know what... Groaning, he signed his name and closed his eyes, wondering if he truly did the right thing.

"Excellent," the man beamed, clapping his hands and picking up the contract. "If you will follow me, I'll lead you to the arena where your match will take place, miss..." He paused and glanced down at the signatures. "Soleil, and mister..." Another glance. "Dee-wyer. Odd name..."

Dwyer honestly felt like punching someone now, and the man in front of them looked awfully tempting.

Finally, the man stopped and pointed towards a hallway that led to the outdoors. "Step out there, and the match will begin," he explained. "Try to refrain from killing anyone, but otherwise anything is allowed. Best of luck!" And in an instant, the man sprinted off.

Soleil and Dwyer turned to each other, Soleil playfully punching the butler's shoulder. "Gotta lose that frown, buddy," she advised. "My father always said to smile during a battle, even if you don't want to!"

"That is quite possibly the stupidest thing I've ever heard..."

A quick kick to the shins shut him up pretty fast.

"Alright... Let's do this!" Soleil exclaimed, pumping her fist in the air and unsheathing her sword. "Are you ready, Dwyer?"

"Not really."

"Psh... It'll be fine!"

Turns out it wasn't fine. To put it simply, they lost. Horribly. Their opponents were a giant thug in a suit of armor and his buddy riding a wyvern. To say they got destroyed would have been a cruel understatement.

Dwyer sighed as he finished healing Soleil with a mend staff, taking time to lightly squeeze her arm. "Does that hurt?" he asked.

Soleil shrugged. "A little, I guess." she answered. Dwyer nodded and stood up, extending his hand to help the girl to her feet. She took it and let the butler hoist her up. Sighing, Soleil crossed her arms. "Man, we got totally creamed..." she murmured.

"I told you it was a bad idea," Dwyer reminded her.

"But...it was kind of fun," the mercenary admitted. She chuckled. "When you get past all the bruises, that is."

Dwyer couldd't help but chuckle as well. Soleil's cheerful attitude was contagious at times. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

He noticed Soleil stiffen slightly, and when he turned to face her he saw the mercenary staring at a beautiful village maiden, who was softly humming to herself as she skipped through the streets. Dwyer caught sight of the blush forming on his friend's face, and he simply rolled his eyes and laid down on the patch of grass they were sitting on.

"Hey, Dwyer..." Soleil started. "I'm just, uh...gonna go check something out. I'll be back in a few!"

Dwyer gave a grunt of understanding, waving the girl off.

Now that Soleil was occupied, Dwyer finally had some tim to himself to think, mostly about his combat skill. In truth, he was one of the army's 'true healers' as in he focused on healing and never engaged in combat. It was something Lord Corrin suggested, and Dwyer simply didn't bother finding any reason to argue. As such, the only combat knowledge Dwyer actually had was the hellish training his father forced onto him when he was younger. So yes, what Soleil mentioned about him being a 'master martial artist' was partially true.

But being a 'master martial artist' didn't mean anything in the end, as that arena match had showed him. Dwyer lifted his hand to his face and stared at it, frowning. Yeah, his hands may be weapons for some, but against real, trained soldiers, they were next to nothing. His training only served to let him survive spars, not actual combat.

What if...What if his healing wouldn't be enough?

The question caught the young butler off guard, and he pondered it for awhile. Perhaps, there would be a situation in the future where he couldn't rely on someone to protect him, but instead had to face the enemy by himself. Or even worse, if one of his friends needed protecting. Staves were useful, but each only had a limited amount of uses. Eventually, Dwyer figured, there could be a time where his staves stop working, and a friend would need his help.

Oh gods... Dwyer sat up, gritting his teeth. How come he never thought about this before? It was obvious, now that he was thinking about it. He never tried to expand his training, only bothering to remember what his father had taught him. He never picked up a weapon in his life, foolishly believing that his ability to heal others would be enough in the end.

 _"You never did see me for who I was... Perhaps I wasn't the best son when I was younger, but now I keep people alive."_

 _Jakob sneered. "Tell that to your caretakers."_

"Would they have lived...if I fought?" Dwyer asked himself. "If I knew how to use a sword, or magic, or _something,_ could they have lived? Would they have not abandoned me?"

What a fool he had been... His father was right the entire time, and Dwyer stupidly chose to ignore all of the old man's advice...

'I don't want to see something like that happen to more people I care about,' he decided. 'I know what I have to do.'

Soleil returned moments later, her face covered with lipstick. "Whew!" she breathed. "She was a lot different from what I was expecting. I guess-" She paused, and took a closer look at Dwyer. "Uh...you alright?"

Slowly, Dwyer turned to face her, his face filled with a determination Soleil had never seen him with before. "I want you to teach me how to fight," he said.

...

 **This chapter was originally meant to be a LOT longer, but I decided to cut the chapter in half. So yes, the next chapter will still focus on Soleil, as a part two! Hope you guys don't mind that XD But yeah, I think I did decently well on this chapter... Someone suggested I flesh out Dwyer a bit more so he doesn't come off as a Mary Sue, so I spent a couple of days wondering how I can do that. I finally decided on the little bit that comes at the end of this chapter. I wanted to show that Dwyer still has a lot of growing left to do, and he's beginning to realize that some of his ways of thinking might not be the best ways of thinking. His character traits show that he prefers healing over fighting, going so far as to outright reject it. But what would happen if he actually did have to fight? Realistically, without the game's seals, I feel like he'd have to extend his training some more, thus leading to part two!**

 **All that, and I decided it was time to give the old man (Jakob) a little break time from being the bad guy in every situation.**

 **Don't forget to review! And remember, stay wykkyd!**


	7. Soleil Part 2

**Alrighty, everybody, welcome to part two of Soleil's chapter. In all honesty, Soleil will probably be the only girl with two parts, considering how much I wanted to add in...and yeah. And since she's added as one of the main characters, I might as well make use of that XD I'm thinking about giving Mitama a two part chapter as well because exploring her and Dwyer's 'relationship' honestly sounds like a blast! But, we'll cross that bridge when we get there, so for now just enjoy the chapter, everyone!**

 **(Meanwhile I'm just gonna cry over the Regular Show finale ;-; friggin feels, bruh. Still not over them.)**

 **...**

"I want you to teach me how to fight," Dwyer stated, his eyes laced with a foreign determination Soleil had never quite seen before.

It was kind of hot, but she'd never admit that to anybody.

"W-Wha-?" she asked, tilting her head. "Did I...here that correctly?"

"Do you need me to repeat myself?" Dwyer stood up, staring right into her eyes. "I want you to teach me how to fight."

"B-But why?" Soleil questioned, awkwardly rubbing her arm. "You already have your martial arts training..."

"With weapons," the sleepy butler clarified. "I want to be taught how to fight with weapons!"

"Oh..." Soleil bit her lip, glancing away. "Well, uh...that was kind of out of nowhere." She looked back at him. "Don't get me wrong, I'd be happy to help! But...why ask me? There's gotta be plenty of other people who would be better teachers than me!"

Dwyer's normal expression of neutrality returned, and he shrugged. "You were closest," he said simply, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

'Well that certainly wasn't exactly a confidence boost,' Soleil thought, clearing her throat. "Well, uh... Sure, I can help you!" She smiled, and patted Dwyer's back. "Yup! By the time I'm done with you, you'll be a 100% master of arms, you will!" Her smile turned to a grin, and she began leading Dwyer back to the direction of the army's camp, just outside of the small town. "Shall we head back, buddy?"

Dwyer grunted, nodded. "Sure, might as well." he agreed, letting Soleil drag him back to the camp. The two walked in silence for a couple of minutes, the sun setting behind them. Dwyer glanced down, his eyes locking with their elongated shadows. 'I can do this,' he told himself. 'This is so I can keep my friends alive. I won't make a mistake like last time...'

"...Dwyer?"

The butler blinked. "Huh?" Glancing up, he saw the flirtatious mercenary staring at him curiously.

"You were spacing out there, bud," she said. "I was asking what was the reason you all of a sudden wanted to learn how to fight with weapons, that's all." She flashed him a teasing smirk, poking his arm with a single finger. "Was it because of your humiliating loss earlier?"

Dwyer rolled his eyes. "Get real," he groaned. "It was your loss too." He sighed, shoving his hands in his pants pockets. "I want to learn this so I can keep the people I care about safe."

Soleil seemed to think about it for a few moments, before slowly nodding. "Good answer," she praised. "But too boring. Any healer with some skill in their work can keep a guy kicking, you're gonna have to be more specific."

Dwyer frowned. "Fine..." he grumbled. Sighing, he returned his eyes to the shadows he and the flirt were casting. "You see, for a long time I believed I could do everything I needed to as a healer, and leave the fighting to everyone else," he explained. "It seemed...like a pretty fair plan. People protect the healer, the healer keeps them alive. Simple. Routine."

"Go on," Soleil pressed.

"But that was a stupid way of thinking," the butler hissed. "The night I was recruited into the army, my home was attacked by those invisible soldiers." He heard Soleil gasp softly. Dwyer sighed and shook his head. "A lot of my caretakers were killed, and I nearly was too. I couldn't fight back, I couldn't do anything. In the end my caretakers abandoned me, and I guess it could be that they blamed me, somehow." He shrugged. "They're not _entirely_ wrong..."

"Hey..." Soleil whined, flickering Dwyer's cheek. "Don't put yourself down like that. You know, my father always said-"

"To keep smiling, even if you don't feel like it," Dwyer recited, rolling his eyes. "Anyway, I guess that, and that arena match, really opened my eyes." He turned to Soleil, grabbing her arm to stop her from walking. "Soleil, what happens if my healing isn't enough? What happens when the enemy inevitably makes it past my friends and comes after me? If I want to keep people alive, including myself, then I can't just rely on healing anymore. I have to fight too..."

"Dwyer..."

The butler raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

Soleil smiled, and it wasn't one of her usual smiles. This one was pure, more genuine. "You really are a great guy, you know that?" she told him, placing a hand on his shoulder. " Despite that 'the world can screw itself' attitude, you're a really kind and caring person, aren't you?" She then chuckled, and winked. "No wonder Ophelia is crushing on you! Gotta say, I'm a little jealous of your lady luck, pal!"

Dwyer nodded, but then the words finally sank in. A blush quickly formed on his face, and he leaped away from his friend. "W-Wait, WHAT?!" he gasped. "W-What do you mean Ophelia is crushing on me?!"

Soleil burst out laughing, clutching her stomach as she struggled to stay standing. "N-Nothing, Dwyer, I s-swear!" she said between breaths. She wiped a tear from her eye and finally calmed down, still giggling a bit. "I didn't know you could be so flustered! What other secrets are you hiding, _Dee-wyer?_ "

"...it was a moment of weakness," Dwyer grumbled after a minute of silence. Crossing his arms, he sighed, "and don't call me that. I already hear that stupid pronunciation too many times..."

"Hehe, sorry, sorry," the mercenary apologized. She cleared her throat and nodded towards the setting sun. "Well, it's getting late," she noted. "We should probably be getting back now, huh?"

"Yeah," Dwyer agreed. "Let's go home."

The two continued walking together in a comfortable silence, which was relieving for young Dwyer. AS much as he appreciated Soleil, like many other people he met, the flirtatious mercenary tended to be pretty loud and energetic. He lifted his hand and observed it, flexing slowly. He wondered what weapon was best suited for this hand, which one would actually keep him alive. An ax? No, too heavy. Lance? Too much effort. A bow? Dwyer had serious doubt he could aim that well.

Perhaps a magic tome? As a healer, Dwyer had some talent when it came to magic. However, he was his mother's child, and his mother preferred brute strength over anything. Add in his father's martial art skills, and Dwyer's magical prowess really only extended to his healing abilities.

A sword, then? While Dwyer couldn't exactly see himself as someone on par with Soleil, it would at least give him a chance to defend himself in an encounter. Shrugging, Dwyer decided he would cross the bridge when they got there.

Just a few minutes later, they made it back to camp, the sun having finally set, and the moon beginning to shine. They passed by an attentive Ignatius, who didn't even greet them as he kept guard outside the camp, his eyes fixed on the darkness in front of him. It seemed like most of the army were lounging in their tents, or otherwise finishing the last of dinner around numerous campfires. Soleil's stomach growled, and she chuckled awkwardly when Dwyer turned to her.

"We should get something to eat," she suggested, and the sleepy butler wordlessly nodded in agreement. The two made their way through the camp, eventually stopping in front of a huge pot with something boiling inside. Sophie was carefully stirring it, constantly checking back to the cookbook she held in her hand.

"Wait, but that doesn't make any-" she was saying, before she caught sight of Dwyer and Soleil. "D-Dwyer!" she exclaimed, nearly knocking over the pot in surprise. "And Soleil! Fancy meeting you here!"

Dwyer turned to the boiling pot, his expression unreadable. "And, uh..." he pointed at it, "what's that?"

"Oh...this?" Sophie just shrugged. "I was just trying to make some soup, that's all."

Dwyer continued to stare at the soup, before he hesitantly grabbed the ladle and scooped out some of it. He brought it to his lips, taking a small sip. Sophie crossed her fingers, her face red. Soleil seemed to be looking forward to Dwyer's thoughts, a strange grin on her face.

Dwyer smacked his lips together, glancing up at the night sky. "Needs a lot of work..." he noted, before nodding. "But otherwise, surprisingly edible."

Sophie beamed, while Soleil seemed partially disappointed. "Woohoo!" the young knight cheered, throwing her hands in the air. "Dwyer doesn't think my food is a complete failure!"

Dwyer grunted, pointing the ladle at the two girls. "You just sit back and relax," he told them, a small grin appearing. "Dwyer's going to give you the ol' one-two special!"

The girls eagerly waited for Dwyer's soup, and turned to each other to make conversation.

"So where were you and Dwyer today?" Sophie asked.

"We were out in town," Soleil responded with a small grin. "Turns out the guy has some pretty good hand to hand skills, but he'd rather learn to fight with a weapon. Sooo... I'm gonna be training him from now on."

Sophie nodded, humming softly to herself. "I wouldn't expect Dwyer to be a fighter," she admitted. "Much less actually have a desire to train..."

Soleil shrugged. "Hey, you can't deny it," she said. "Dwyer is kind of a mystery. One minute you know him, the next he pulls a crazy stunt like asking me to train him." She rested her chin in her hand and rubbed it. "Maybe that's why Ophelia like him so much... Maybe I gotta act all laid back and mysterious to get her to notice me..."

Sophie sighed. "Are girls all you ever think about?" she deadpanned.

"And puppies!"

"What are you two talking about?" Dwyer suddenly interrupted, approaching them with two bowls of piping hot soup in his hands. "Actually, never mind. Here's you soup, make sure to blow on it."

"Thank you, Dwyer," Sophie beamed.

"Mhm, thanks!" Soleil echoed, blowing on her soup before slurping it down. She moaned in delight, licking her lips. "Delicious, as usual!"

"Oh yes, very delicious!" the clumsy knight agreed. "You're a very good cook, Dwyer."

The butler shrugged, but a small smirk appeared on his face. "Well, I suppose I am pretty great..."

"DWYER!"

The sound of Jakob's shout shattered the sleepy butler's good mood, and he sighed as he turned to face the man storming in his direction. Jakob, as always, had a scowl across his face, steam practically shooting out of his ears.

"Dwyer..." he hissed when he finally stood in front of his son. "Where were you?"

"In town with Soleil," Dwyer answered.

Jakob turned to glare at Soleil, who actually shrank back in slight fear. "You could do much better with different friends, son." he criticized underneath his breath, before speaking up. "Dwyer, you were supposed to be helping with chores around the camp!"

"I checked the schedule, though," Dwyer argued. "I had the day off!"

"Felicia became sick," Jakob explained. "We needed a replacement, and old man Gunter sure as hell wasn't going to help us."

"So how can you get mad at me, then?" Dwyer challenged, pinpointing the fatal flaw in his father's logic. "No one could have known Felicia would become sick, Father. You can't blame me for that, nor can you blame me for following orders and _enjoying my day off."_

Jakob sighed and shook his head. "You're too young to understand," he said. "We royal servants don't have the luxury of a day off, son! We must be ready at any given moment to serve our lords and ladies!"

Dwyer rolled his eyes. _Of course_ his father would say something like that.

"Well, I'm going to bed..." he growled, stepping away from his father. He turned to Sophie and Soleil, forcing himself to smile. "Goodnight, you two." He began walking back towards his tent, when Jakob called to him.

"What makes you think you can go to sleep now, you lazy lout?" he demanded.

Dwyer shrugged. "Gotta get up early for training tomorrow."

Jakob scoffed. "That's absolutely ridi-" He paused, his eyes wide with surprise. "P-Pardon? What did you say?"

Dwyer smirked, shrugging again. "There was one thing you were right about, Father," he said. "I do need to learn how to fight, and that's precisely what I'm going to do." He nodded to the older butler. "Goodnight, Father."

...

 _"Dwyer, look out!"_

 _The boy turned around, just in time to see his mother shove him out of the way and take the thunder spell herself. She gasped as she was fried, and she collapsed limp to the ground, unmoving._

 _The boy's eyes widened in terror, and he looked up to see the dark knight peering at him through his skull mask, a malicious chuckle sounding as he raised his tome, preparing to strike again._

Dwyer's eyes burst open as he shot up from his bed, sweating. He took deep, gasping breaths, running his fingers through his blonde hair. 'Mother...' he thought, taking a few moments to ground himself back to reality.

A dream, that's all it was... Just a stupid nightmare. Charlotte was still alive, probably sleeping peacefully next to Jakob. Dwyer nodded, satisfied with this, though the image of his mother being ruthlessly struck down lingered.

Shaking his head, he crawled out of his temporary bed, reaching for the clothes he would wear for today. 'A dream,' he reminded himself as he slipped on his shirt. 'Just a dream...'

He sighed, sitting down to pull on his boots. Once he was ready, he was right about to leave when all of a sudden, the flap of his tent was thrown open.

"Wake up, lazy bum!" Soleil shouted as she marched inside, a grin on her face. "It's time to start your training!"

Dwyer groaned as he felt a headache form. "I was already up..." he muttered, rubbing his temples.

Soleil blinked, and then her face flushed. "Oh, uh...sorry," she sheepishly apologized. "Didn't really know you were a morning person."

Dwyer shrugged. "As a butler, it's natural for me to be up at dawn." he explained. "Makes it easier to get things done."

"Ah, alright." Soleil grabbed her friend's arm, and began leading him outside the tent. "Well, I found a neat little spot for us to train! Already got you a sword and everything!"

"Yippee..."

Soleil pouted, punching the butler's arm. "Hey, don't be like that," she scolded. "This was your idea, so I don't want to hear any complaining, got it?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Soleil shook her head lightly, chuckling. She continued to lead Dwyer towards the mystery spot, until she finally stopped. "Well, here we are!" she announced.

It was a small clearing behind Corrin's tent, with soft grass covering it. Two boulders stood side by side at one end, while the other end had a dead tree. Leaning against the tree were two bronze swords, which Soleil picked up. She handed one to Dwyer and took one for herself. She motioned for Dwyer to stand at one side, while she stood at the other.

"Okay," she began. "Attack me."

"Huh?" Dwyer asked.

Soleil rolled her eyes. "Dwyer, I gotta access your skill somehow!"

Well, uh..." Dwyer lazily dug into the earth with the tip of his sword. "Why don't you attack me instead? And I'll try to dodge, block, and counter your attacks..."

Soleil thought about it for a moment, before she shrugged. "Works for me," she decided, and not a moment after she said that, she launched herself towards Dwyer.

The butler barely had enough time to react, jumping away to avoid the stab attack. Soleil didn't give him any room to breathe, immediately spinning around and shifting her sword into a reverse grip, slashing upwards towards her opponent. Dwyer raised his sword and blocked it, though the force of the blow vibrated his sword, sending a strange tingling through his arms. The mercenary leaped into the air, bringing her sword down with an intent to pierce through him.

Dwyer dodged, stumbled, and decided to take a swing with his own sword. Soleil blocked it with hers, and she gave him a little wink before she spun around behind him, smacking the back of his head with the flat side of her blade. Dwyer nearly fell on his knees, and it was at that moment he realized something. 'She's toying with me!'

Dwyer gritted his teeth and quickly spun around, slashing at the girl. Soleil giggled and nimbly flipped out of harm's way. 'She's fast, and an expert with the sword,' Dwyer thought. 'I have absolutely no chance against her. My best bet is to just try to deflect her attacks.'

Soleil rushed Dwyer once more, thrusting her sword forward as she did. Dwyer sidestepped and brought his own sword down on her own. Her blade hit the earth, and Dwyer muttered a quick apology before he _backhanded_ the flirtatious mercenary. Soleil backed away, holding her cheek in shock as she tried to register what happened. Then, a look in her eyes changed, and a twisted, scheming grin appeared on her face.

"Ooooooh," she hissed. "So we're playing by those rules, huh?"

Dwyer gulped and began backing away slowly. "Uh, Soleil-"

With near blinding speed, Soleil was behind him, sweeping a kick underneath his legs that sent him into the air. Before he could even register what happened, he felt the girl's arm grab him, and flip him painfully onto his stomach. The girl placed her foot on his back, the tip of her sword pressed a bit too hard against the back of his neck for comfort. For a moment, Dwyer seriously thought he was going to die.

"I win!" Soleil cheered, stepping off of the boy.

It was times like these that Dwyer remembered just who Soleil's mother was. Dwyer had the unfortunate task of serving the blood thirsty woman known as Peri once, and he would rather never do it again.

He slowly got to his feet, while Soleil began listing off his mistakes. "You were really slow, for one," she noted. "You left way too many openings, and even though you did land a hit on me, you failed to follow through. All in all, you're _really_ crappy."

"Thanks for your motivational wisdom, Soleil," Dwyer muttered sarcastically.

"Hey, don;t be mad!" Soleil ordered, placing her fists on her hips. "We just gotta keep on practicing, buddy! You'll get better!"

"No, he won't." a new voice piped up, surprising the two combatants. They looked up at the boulders and saw Asugi, son of Saizo the fifth, sitting on one and looking down at them.

"How long were you watching us?" Soleil asked, sheathing her sword.

Asugi thought about it for a few moments, before saying, "long enough." He hopped down from the boulder, walking towards the two. He pointed at Dwyer. "Soleil, you're training Naps here all wrong."

"W-What?!" Soleil gasped. "That's bull!"

Asugi shrugged. "What can I say? Naps ain't built to handle a sword, so he shouldn't be using one in a fight." He turned to Dwyer. "No offense."

"None taken," Dwyer assured. "But what do you suggest, then?"

"You're a martial artist, ain't ya?" said Asugi. "You should be building on that, not wasting your potential with crummy weapons!"

"Sword aren't crummy..." Soleil mumbled.

Asugi reached behind him, and yanked out a shuriken. He handed it to the butler, making his clasp his hand around it. "Use this instead," he advised. "It should go along quite well with your actual fighting style."

Dwyer raised a skeptical eyebrow. "You expect me to fight Soleil with this?" he asked.

Asugi laughed and shook his head. "Nope," he said, his eyes turning serious. "I expect you to fight me with it." He turned to Soleil. "You can go take a break, Soleil. I'll watch over Naps for a bit."

Soleil looked like she wanted to argue, but she caught sight of Dwyer nodding at her. Soleil sighed and backed away. "Alright, have fun, you two!" She soon left the clearing, leaving the two boys alone. Asugi chuckled as she left, before he turned to Dwyer.

"I've been wanting to spar against you for awhile, Naps." he admitted, pulling out his own shuriken. "This is gonna be fun..."

...

"Ah...shit!" Asugi cursed as he leaned against the dead tree. "That hurt!"

Dwyer pulled out his healing staff and began to mend the wound that was located on the ninja's shoulder. "Sorry," he apologized. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Sorry?" Asugi scoffed. "You don't have anything to be sorry for, Naps! You were a natural, I can't believe it!" He chuckled, shaking his head. "Who would've thought a guy who does nothing but sleep would have such a talent for kicking ass?"

"You flatter me," Dwyer said as he finished treating the wound. "But you're stretching the truth a little. We were pretty even..."

Asugi shrugged, rubbing his newly healed shoulder. "Whatever," he grunted. "I stand by what I said." He began walking away. "Thanks for the spar, man. Now go find Soleil or something."

Dwyer decided to take the ninja's advice, and he began searching around camp for the girl. However, he could not seem to find her anywhere, not until he heard some...footsteps? Coming from the woods bordering the small town, he could hear something...sort of rhythmic? Raising an eyebrow, he followed the source of the noise.

He eventually reached a small clearing, and in the center of it stood Soleil, doing...

Oh gods!

Dwyer's eyes widened, but he forced himself to stay still and silent. Soleil, was she...summoning a demon?! Gulping, the butler wondered if he should warn the army, but there was no way he could do that to the mercenary!

Before he could come up with a decision though, Soleil turned around, her eyes locking with his. There was an awkward silence, before Soleil suddenly _shrieked_ and leaped back, breathing heavily. "D-D-Dwyer?!" she choked. "H-How much did you see?"

"I, uh..." Dwyer bit his lip and glanced away. "Most, I guess?"

'Oh gods, she's going to sacrifice me to a demon,' he thought.

"Oh no..." Soleil sank to her knees and buried her head in her hands. "I'm so embarrassed, I can't believe you saw me dancing..."

Wait, what? "Dancing?!" Dwyer cried, shocked. "That was _dancing?_ I thought you were summoning a demon or something!"

"Rude!" Soleil hissed, before she sighed and glanced away. "Yeah, I was dancing..." she muttered. "Or at least, I was trying to..." She stood up and brushed her clothing, grimacing as she noticed sweat. Shaking her head, she began to peel off her shirt until Dwyer's cry of protest.

"What are you doing?!" he demanded.

"I'm taking off my clothes," Soleil said. "I don't want all that sweat..."

"You don't find it embarrassing?!"

"Not really," Soleil admitted with a shrug. "I don't care about people seeing me like this." As she said this, her pants came down next, and Dwyer hurriedly turned away.

"And yet you care about people seeing you dancing?!"

Soleil's face flushed, and she turned away as well. "Well, yeah..." she hissed. "My dad and my grandmother are both great dancers, but somehow I ended up being unlucky. I want to dance, but I can't! So I try practicing in secret, okay!"

Dwyer nodded slowly, calming himself down. "Alright," he murmured. "I'll be going now, sorry for disturbing you." He began walking away, saying, "and apparently the shuriken was the right choice. I think I'll be keeping one around..."

"Hey, wait!"

Dwyer turned around, momentarily forgetting about Soleil's state of dress. The moment he saw her, however, his blush returned and he looked away, groaning internally.

Soleil paid this no mind, even stepping up right in front of him. "This is our secret, okay?" she told him.

Dwyer nodded.

"Good, now..." Soleil smirked, an idea forming in her head. "I've decided something, Dwyer!" She pointed a finger at him. "You will be helping me dance from now on!"

"W-What?!" Dwyer stammered. "I didn't agree to that!"

"Whatever, I don't care!" Soleil exclaimed. "You saw me during a moment of weakness, and now you gotta pay for it!"

"That doesn't even make sense!"

"Aaaand," the flirt added. "Since I helped you train, it's only fair you help me dance, right?"

Dwyer remained silent, knwoing he was close to being defeated.

Soleil's smirk grew. "And if you don't help me..." She winked. "I'll just go tell Lord Corrin about your 'escapade' with Kana..."

Dwyer turned to face the girl, making sure to not to lower his gaze towards her...other areas. "You wouldn't."

Silence passed.

Dwyer sighed and closed his eyes. "You would..." he realized, accepting defeat.

"Woohoo!" Soleil cheered, jumping up and down. "Dwyer's gonna help me become a good dancer!" In her celebration, she threw her arms around the butler, still not caring about her current state of undress.

Dwyer, on the other hand...

...he was beginning to realize how much his life sucked.

...

 **Longest chapter so far XD Don't forget to review! And remember, stay wykkyd!**


	8. The Chapter About Drugs

**The hype for the upcoming Fire Emblem titles is real, fellas! Of course, I voted for Dwyer for Fire Emblem Heroes, I regret nothing! Seriously, it's great seeing Nintendo recognized just how beloved the Fire Emblem series is, y'know? My prediction is that 2017 shall be the year of the Fire Emblem!**

 **Also, a bit disappointed with the lack of reviews last chapter :/ Seriously, I told you guys before that I crave reviews over anything else! It's more important to me than favorites, follows, views, all that jazz XD So please be nice and review? Anyway, enjoy the chapter, everyone!**

 **...**

Dwyer was definitely getting sick of all this marching, and he prayed that they reached their next destination soon so he could return to the castle and get some much needed shuteye. Soleil's (and Asugi's, to an extent) training had really left the young butler breathless and aching, and the beaten road the army traveled on dug through his boots and into his soles. He grimaced, but otherwise tried to ignore the pain.

He heard Corrin call from up ahead that they were taking a break, and the butler collapsed with relief, not caring that his clothes were now covered in dirt.

He heard someone approach him, stopping a foot away from his head. "Y'know," Velouria's voice said, "I could've carried you in my beast form if you were that tired."

"I'm fine..." Dwyer lied, pushing himself up. "You don't have to do anything for me, Velouria."

The wolfskin sighed, and shrugged. "Whatever you say, Dwyer..."

The two found a tree to lean against, and they sat down next to each other. They didn't talk for awhile, just enjoying the comfort they had. Normally Velouria would've been out hunting for treasure, but sometimes relaxation was good too. She turned to Dwyer, who looked the most relaxed he had all day since they began their march. He had his eyes closed, and for a moment she thought he was already fast asleep until he opened one eye.

"What are you looking at?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Velouria shrugged. "You, I guess," she answered. A smile formed. "You just look really peaceful right now. It's nice, I think."

"Thanks," Dwyer grunted, closing his eyes again. "Soleil had been working me non stop the past few days," he explained. "And when that's over, it's usually time for me to start my chores. Free time has been scarce lately, so I'm enjoying what little I still have."

"I think I know that feeling," Velouria agreed, crossing her arms.

Dwyer smirked. "Selkie?"

Velouria nodded. "Selkie," she echoed, sighing. "She's nice, and a great friend, but she can be a bit too energetic sometimes."

The sleepy butler opened one eye again. "Sometimes?" he questioned.

The wolfskin rolled her eyes. "Fine, all the time." she corrected herself. "Better?"

"Better."

Velouria settled back, silence returning between the two. Not like they minded. Honestly, sometimes the two preferred it this way. Both were quiet, private individuals by nature, and sometimes all they needed to bond was just some time to sink back into their thoughts. They wouldn't discuss anything unless one of them brought something up. Velouria sighed blissfully and closed her eyes, taking a small amount of comfort from Dwyer's scent. His scent was unique compared to the other members of the army. While some smelled various mixtures of earthy, fruity, sweaty, and all scents in between, Dwyer wasn't like that. He had a faint smell of tea always lingering on him, the kind that soothed your throat and gently settled into you stomach. Mixed in with the tea was something she couldn't quite place. It wasn't anything she smelled before, the only way she could describe it was...

'It's like you just walked into a beautiful home, with a full feast waiting for you,' she decided, nodding to herself.

She wouldn't deny it, she had a small crush on the butler. Like she said before, he was much different from the other children in the army. He may come off like a rude, uncaring jerk, but anyone who actually knew him would say otherwise. Like her, he simply preferred to be alone at times.

 _He understood her like no one else had before._

Velouria felt heat rise to her cheeks, but suddenly her eyes shot open at the sound of approaching footsteps. Someone was sprinting straight towards them! Dwyer opened his eyes too, and the two leaped to their feet. Approaching them at full speed was a young girl, who appeared to be about Kana's age. She had light blue hair tied in pigtails, and she was wearing a simple Hoshidan villager outfit that stopped just above her knees. She carried a large, wooden trunk on her back. She had a look of panic in her eyes, and soon Dwyer could see why.

The butler's eyes widened when he saw a fierce looking bandit chasing the girl, a bow being strung in his hands. "Get back here, you little brat!" he roared, drawing back the arrow. "You gotta learn to respect your elders!"

He released the bow, but before Dwyer could react, Velouria stepped in first. In an instant, she transformed into her wolfskin form, and quickly wrapped the girl in her arms with her back towards the bandit. The arrow dug through the beast's shoulder, but all it did was hiss in pain. Wolfskins were durable creatures, a flimsy arrow wouldn't cause too much harm.

Dwyer rushed over to his friend as she shifted back, and watched as she painfully dug the arrow out of her shoulder. Out of the corner of his eye, the butler saw Kaze leap into action, quickly defeating the bandit. Sighing, Dwyer turned back to Velouria, raising his healing staff. "That was reckless of you," he said, the wound beginning to patch itself up.

Velouria frowned. "It was instinct," she told him. "She was in trouble, and no one else was around."

"I didn't say it wasn't the right thing," Dwyer replied, finishing his task.

The girl slipped out of Velouria's arms, biting her lip. "I'm sorry!" she apologized. "I didn't mean to get you hurt!"

"It's alright," Veloruia assured the girl with a soft smile. "I'm fine, trust me."

The girl nodded, before she slowly turned to Kaze, smiling. "Father!" she cried, rushing towards him.

Father? Dwyer raised an eyebrow. Since when did Kaze have a daughter? The butler could've sworn that Shigure was an only child...

"Midori," Kaze said sternly, placing his hands on his daughter's shoulders. "What are you doing here? Why aren't you in your deeprealm?"

"F-Father..." Midori began. "I was here to visit you... You promised we'd meet up, remember?"

"Yes, but I wasn't exactly expecting you so soon!" Kaze exclaimed, briefly losing his calm head. "You could've been hurt, I could've lost you!"

Midori's big eyes began to tear up, and she sniffed. "I-I'm sorry, Father..." she whimpered. "I didn't mean to worry you..."

Kaze seemed to tell that he hurt his daughter's feelings, because he sighed and pulled the girl into a hug. "Midori, don't apologize..." he murmured. "I shouldn't have yelled at you, I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Father..." Midori's head poked up, and she slowly set down her trunk, kneeling down in front of it. "Oh, I got you something!" she announced. "Those rare herbs you wanted! They're just in h-" She paused, her eyes narrowing as she rummaged through her trunk.

"Midori?" Kaze asked. "What's the matter?"

"T-The herbs," the young girl gasped, her eyes wide with terror. "They're gone!"

"Gone?" Kaze repeated, stepping closer. "Midori, are you sure?"

"Yes! They were right here a second ago!"

"Are you sure you didn't drop them while the bandit was after you?" Velouria questioned, rubbing her recently healed shoulder tenderly.

Midori puffed out her cheeks and shook her head. "There's no way!" she protested. "They were locked safe and sound inside my trunk! They could've have gotten out unless..." She trailed off, as if she just realized something. "No..." she whispered, before she spun around on her heel and sprinted off into the surrounding woods.

"Midor!" Kaze shouted. "Where are you going?!"

"Someone stole those herbs!" Midori cried over her shoulder. "And I'm going to get them back!"

"Midori!"

But within seconds, Midori vanished from sight, leaving her at the mercy of whatever was in those woods. Kaze stared after her in shock, until a new voice called to him. "Father!" Everyone turned around to see Shigure running towards them. He stopped in front of Kaze, panting and trying to catch his breath. "Was that...was that Midori?" he asked through gasps.

"It was," Kaze growled, clenching his fist. "Dammit..."

Dwyer, who had been silently watching the entire scene, sighed and stood up, walking towards Kaze. He placed a hand on the ninja's shoulder. "Don't worry, Mister Kaze..." he assured. "I'll go find your daughter for you..."

Kaze raised an eyebrow. "Dwyer? Are you sure?" he asked.

The sleepy butler shrugged. "She'll need a healer if she's out there alone," he reasoned. "And since I'm the only one here..."

Kaze seemed to consider it, before he gave in and slowly nodded. Turning to his older child, he said, "go with him."

Shigure nodded, and together he and Dwyer stood side by side, facing the woods. They turned to the other two, nodding before sprinting off in search of Midori.

"Wait!" Velouria called out, causing Dwyer to stop. The butler turned around, and Velouria gently took his hand with a blush on her face. "Stay safe, okay?" she told him, placing something in his hand. Dwyer instinctively clenched his fist around it.

"Yeah..." he said. "I will be." Velouria nodded, still blushing. She backed away, and Dwyer hurried off after Shigure. The singer was waiting for him, clearly wanting to hurry this up. Dwyer sighed, following the blue haired boy. He couldn't imagine what must have been going on in Shigure's mind. Was he worried about his sister? Was he scared that she would get hurt? Dwyer was thankful he didn't have any siblings, he wasn't sure he would be able to handle all of that extra responsibility.

He opened his hand, wondering what Velouria had given him. When he saw it, he couldn't help but smile.

She had given him a rabbit's foot.

The woods expanded for what seemed like countless miles in every direction, but both boys knew it wasn't the case; the forest was just full of many twists and turns. Shigure gritted his teeth in frustration, pounding his fist into a thick tree trunk. "Where could she be?" he wondered out loud.

Dwyer shrugged, beginning to wonder why he volunteered for this in the first place. "I wouldn't have a clue," he admitted. "I was sort of hoping you would have an idea. Aren't siblings supposed to have a bond like that?"

"For some, maybe," Shigure answered. "But Midori and I were raised in separate deeprealms. Besides the occasional visit, we really didn't spend any time together."

'Well there goes that plan,' Dwyer internally groaned.

"So what made you decide to come along and search?" Shigure suddenly asked, still trudging ahead.

Dwyer sighed and shook his head. "It's a weakness," he said after a few moments of consideration. "Ever since I joined the army, I just can't stand seeing someone in trouble. Guess I'm just too nice for my own good."

"...interesting..." Shigure murmured, before he stopped. PErking his head up, he slowly looked around. "Dwyer, did you hear that?"

Dwyer strained his ears until he picked up a faint cry. "Hey! Give those back, you thief!"

The two young men turned to each other. "Midori!" they both realized, and with new energy they sprinted off in the direction of Midori's cry.

When they finally found her, she was glaring at...a very stocky woman, to put it lightly. The woman was grinning wickedly, eyes full of mischief as she held a bag full of what could only be the rare herbs in her hand, the other at the brim of her hat.

"Oh ho!" the woman laughed, shaking her head. "Kid, I'm no thief!" she denied. "I'm just a humble treasure hunter, that's all."

"Yeah, well..." Midori stuck her tongue out. "What kind of treasure hunter steals from an innocent traveler, huh?!"

"I've heard many tales about these dragon herbs," the treasure hunter explained, holding up the bags. "And like I said, I'm a treasure hunter. You had something I treasured. Ergo, what's yours is mine now!"

"That's not fair!" Midori growled.

The portly woman laughed again. "The real world never is, kid," she said. "Now, I'll just be on my way now." She began to slip away, before she winked at the young apothecary. "By the way, kid... Name's Candace, don't you forget it!"

Candace turned around to get away, only to be surprised when she saw Shigure and Dwyer blocking her path. "What's the meaning of this?" she hissed.

"You pick on my sister, you pick on me," Shigure threatened, narrowing his eyes.

"Just hand us the herbs and this will all be over," Dwyer said, trying to play the role of peacemaker. "This doesn't have to escalate any further."

"Tch..." Candace scoffed, backing away. "I don't think you kids understand... No one catches Candace, no one _beats_ Candace!" With surprising speed, she lunged, thrusting her elbow into Shigure's temple before pushing past the two. She sprinted away, cackling as the three children were left in her dust.

Midori gasped and rushed over to her brother's side. "Shigure!" she squeaked. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah..." the singer groaned, rising slowly to his feet. "Just a little headache, that's all..."

Dwyer stared after Candace as she faded from view. He sighed and shook his head. "Well, there goes the herbs..." he muttered.

Midori gasped, and leaped to her feet. "We have to get those herbs back!" she cried, and was about to sprint off again when Shigure grabbed her wrist.

"Midori..." he began. "They're just herbs...there is no need to keep chasing that woman..."

The apothecary yanked her wrist out of her older brother's hand. "They're not _just_ herbs!" she told him. "They're super rare dragon herbs! They only grow once a year in this forest!"

"Then you can get some more next ye-"

"Do you know how long a year here is in the deeprealms?!"

Dwyer sighed, tuning out the bickering siblings. He turned back towards the direction Candace had sprinted off. He glanced down, immediately finding her exact trail. The woman had been in such a hurry to get away, she left an unbelievably obvious trail for them to follow. "Guys," he called over his shoulder, catching their attention. He pointed at the trail. "I, uh... I think we can catch up to her if we hurry."

"Then what are we waiting for?!" Midori wondered, already following the trail. "We have to get those herbs back!"

Shigure looked like he wanted to argue, but he simply bit his tongue and shook his head, following his younger sister reluctantly. Dwyer trailed close behind, fingers wrapping around the shuriken he had in his pocket, his healing staff in his other hand. 'I can't believe I talked myself into this,' he thought. 'Would've saved me so much trouble...'

But he really was too nice for his own good, and what sort of gentleman would he be if he left a damsel in distress?

...he has been meeting a lot of those lately, now that he thought about it.

He stopped when Shigure raised his hand, and three children ducked behind some bushes, parting a few branches so they could see. Candace was announcing her stolen good to a collection of bandits, and Dwyer briefly wondered if the bandit that was chasing Midori belonged to these guys.

"Now you listen here!" Candace cried, waving the bag of herbs in her hand. "No doubt the kids I stole these from are probably coming after me, which is why I'm hiring you bozos to keep me safe, got it?"

"Got it," the bandits repeated in monotone. Dwyer raised an eyebrow. He would expect the bandits to be a more rowdy bunch. It seemed like Candace had a lot of charisma if she could get them all to obey her like slaves...

"We should get out of here," Shigure suggested, already backing away. "There's too many for us to face alone." Both Dwyer and Midori nodded in agreement, and slowly the three crept away from the small army of bandits.

 _SNAP!_

Midori accidentally stepped on a twig, causing all heads to turn towards their direction. Immediately two bandits rushed to the bush, pushing it aside to look at the three children. Midori gulped, while Dwyer bit his lip. 'Dammit...' he thought. 'Can we outrun them?'

It seemed like Shigure had a very similar idea. Reaching down, he picked up a rock before he bashed it into a bandit, turning tail and grabbing his younger sister's arm. "Run for it!" he shouted, and the three sprinted off.

"After them!" Dwyer heard Candace order. "Those kids ought to be taught some manners!"

'Crap!' Dwyer thought as an arrow whizzed by his head. 'Crap, crap, crap! This is bad!' He jumped over a fallen log, only a few paces behind Shigure and Midori. He could feel his heart burning thanks to his lack of running throughout his life, and he wasn't sure how much longer he could make it.

Eventually, fatigue overtook him, and he collapsed onto the forest floor, panting. Midori heard him, and turned around, her eyes widening. "Oh no!" she gasped, rushing over to the butler. She dropped by his side, grabbing his shoulders. "Are you okay?"

"Midori, look out!" Midori heard her brother's warning a bit too late, and when she glanced up she was hit with a fire spell, which sent her flying back. Shigure choked for a moment. "M-Midori!" He was about to rush over to her before a swordsman cut off his path. Shigure growled and picked up a tree branch, his eyes narrowed with determination.

Dwyer struggled to his feet, and he stumbled over to Midori;s body. She was still breathing, and was thankfully not too badly burned. She could make a full recovery if he healed her now. Lifting his staff, he was about to begin the process when another fire spell soared over his head. Turning around, the young butler saw a mage grinning like a mad man staring back at him.

"I don't think so, kid," the mage cackled, flipping through his tome.

Dwyer gulped, and his hand reached for the shuriken in his pocket. He paused, wondering if he could make the shot. He hadn't had much practice actually _throwing_ the weapon. Deciding he didn't have much choice, he quickly yanked it out of his pocket and hurled it at his enemy.

The shuriken missed the mage by about five feet...

The mage laughed at Dwyer's misfortune, and the butler gulped. 'Now what am I going to do?' he wondered.

The mage was about to cast his spell when a new voice broke through the trees. "TO THE RESCUE!"

Dwyer watched in awe as Sophie burst through the forest, her and Avel acting as one. She skillfully guided the horse to the enemy, and before the mage could retaliate he was run through by Sophie's lance. The mage dropped dead, and Sophie turned towards Dwyer with a smile. "Hey, Dwyer!" she greeted cheerfully. "Kaze and Velouria told us what happened, so we all came to help you!"

As if on cue, the entire army seemingly showed up out of nowhere, engaging the bandits in combat. He watched as Niles and Lord Xander teamed up together to face Candace and her bodyguards. He smiled, grateful that he was actually gonna get out of this alive. Sophie returned to the battle, giving a brave battle cry as she fought off a wyvern rider.

Dwyer sighed and turned back to the unconscious Midori, frowning. "I'm sorry," he murmured. "I guess this is my fault, to some extent." He raised his healing staff, beginning the process. "I promise, I'll make it up to you..."

He still had a lot more training to do.

...

When Midori opened her eyes, she found herself in what seemed to be a medical tent. Blinking, she tried standing up, but hissed in pain as she did so. Glancing down, she saw that her top was removed, much to her embarrassment, and that her torso was wrapped in gauze.

"You were burned by a fire spell," a voice from the other side of the tent informed her. "The damage wasn't too bad, however, so you should be making a full recovery."

Midori jumped a little and turned around, seeing the boy that was with Shigure watching her. She blushed, and instinctively covered herself, glancing away.

The boy coughed, and glanced away, blushing as well. "Ah, yeah..." he muttered, holding up the girl's shirt. "Here you go..."

Midori took her clothing and instantly wiggled into it, sighing. "Thank you..."

"You're welcome," the boy returned. He glanced towards the exit, and shrugged. "Well, guess I ought to be going now..." He bowed, before making his way out of the tent.

"Wait!" Midori called out, causing the boy to pause. He turned back around, and Midori couldn't help but admit he was rather handsome. She twiddled her thumbs. "You never told me your name," she said.

"How rude of me," the boy lightly scolded himself, smiling. "My name is Dwyer."

"Dwyer..." Midori repeated, liking the name.

"You should get some sleep," Dwyer suggested, beginning to walk away once more. He stopped again, and this time walked over to Midori, reaching for something in his pocket. "And here's a gift for you..."

Midori gasped and gently grabbed the bag. "The dragon herbs..." she whispered.

"After Mister Niles captured Candace, he took the herbs and gave them to your father, who gave them to me," the butler explained. "I figured I might as well give them to you when you woke up, I have no use for them."

Midori beamed. "Thank you, Dwyer," she said, leaning up and planting a kiss on the blonde's cheek. Dwyer coughed and backed away, his face turning red.

"Uh, yeah..." Dwyer shook his head and stepped away. "Alright, I'll come visit you later, Midori, okay?"

"Okay!"

Dwyer stepped out of the medical tent, leaving Midori alone. The girl giggled and clutched the herbs to her chest.

'After I'm healed,' she decided. 'I'm going to convince Father to let me join the army!'

...

 **Next chapter is Caeldori! Which to be honest, may take awhile. Caeldori is the hardest child for me to write, and since people have praised the character personalities in this story, I don't want her to really come off as bland or anything (which, let's it admit it, she kind of already is...). So yeah, that will be a fun challenge XD I'll take advice from any "Caeldori experts" out there as well!**

 **Don't forget to review! And remember, stay wykkyd!**


	9. I'm Practically Perfect in Every Way!

**Alrighty, folks, welcome back! This chapter is going to be Caeldori's chapter, AKA the one I've been dreading since the beginning. I'll admit, I don't know much about her character, even after all the support conversations I've watched on YouTube, I'm still a bit iffy on the subject. However, I tried my best to work with what I got, and hopefully it pays off. Honestly, I don't think I've ever pooled this much effort into a story before! Dwyer is one of my favorite Fire Emblem character (next to Lute, that adorable little mage from Sacred Stones, d'aww...) and I really want this story to stand out among the crowd. Judging by your reviews, I'm hoping that I'm actually doing something right.**

 **So all in all, this is my 'dream story', Caeldori is a bitch to write, and Lute is waifu! Enjoy the chapter, everyone!**

 **...**

Dwyer would never admit it to anyone, but he had a small crush on Caeldori.

It seemed like most of the male children in the army did as well, and who could blame them? Caeldori was a beautiful sight to behold for many. The way she bravely charged into battle, her strong sense of duty and loyalty, her friendly attitude to just about everyone on camp... She was almost perfection!

Key word: _almost._

The woman had several quirks that were a little strange to witness, and for all the money in the world, she would never back down from a challenge. This may have been fine, Dwyer had learned over the course of his training that it's perfectly acceptable to push yourself.

However, Caeldori was...different from most.

It started when Dwyer had just beaten Asugi in another spar, a few days having past since Midori joined the army. Asugi groaned as he struggled to his feet, glaring playfully at the butler. "Dammit, Naps!" he hissed. "How are you so good at this?"

Dwyer shrugged. "Luck?" he suggested, but the sweets loving ninja shook his head.

"Nah," he disagreed. "If all it took was luck, then Percy would've won the war for us twenty times over by now!"

It was then that Dwyer felt something staring at him from behind, sending shivers up his spine. Turning around slowly, he saw a familiar red haired figure locking eyes onto him from behind a tree. Caeldori saw that Dwyer had noticed her, and with a small cry of surprise she ducked behind the tree and out of sight. The butler blinked, confused. He turned back to Asugi and jabbed his thumb at Caeldori's direction.

"How long has she been there?" he asked.

Asugi shrugged. "As long as I can remember," he answered, sticking a sucker in his mouth. "She's been watching you for awhile now, actually."

"Why?" Dwyer wondered, rubbing his chin. Surely he wasn't _that_ popular, right? He had friends, but he wasn't 'cool' enough for stalkers yet, was he?

"Oh, who knows!" Asugi growled, crossing his arms. "I hope you know you're one lucky bastard, having all the pretty girls after you. Seriously, your leagues above me, and I bake sweets!" Asugi reached out and grabbed Dwyer's shoulders, eyes wide. "What girl doesn't love a guy with great baking talent?! What the hell is your secret, Naps?!"

"I-I wouldn't know!" Dwyer stammered, squirming out of his friend's grasp. "It's not like I'm trying or anything!"

Apparently he said the wrong thing, because Asugi collapsed to his knees, eyes blank. Dwyer could've sworn there was a rain cloud over the ninja's head. "He doesn't even try." Asugi stated, his voice void of all emotion. "He doesn't even try. He doesn't even try. He doesn't even-"

Dwyer decided the best thing to do was give the ninja with a sweet tooth some space...

Walking away from the training grounds, he took a moment to glance at the high castle walls. Oh, it felt great to be back at the castle. Dwyer honestly could not have imagined marching much further, and he was happy to be back in familiar territory. He then turned his attention to the tree that Caeldori hid behind. He began walking towards it, curious to see if Caeldori was still hiding behind it.

As he grew closer, Dwyer heard the girl's voice, and it sounded like she was talking to herself. 'I wonder why.' he thought, now standing right next to the tree. He peeked his head around hesitantly, curiosity out weighing his respect for privacy. Caeldori was picking the petals off of a flower, chanting something underneath her breath with each pluck. Dwyer had to strain his ears to hear her.

"I'm perfect, I'm not perfect..." The Pegasus knight whispered, plucking off two more petals. "I'm perfect, I'm n-" She gasped as she plucked off the last petal, staring at the bare flower with shock. "I-I'm...NOT PERFECT?!" she choked out, flinging the flower away and burying her head in her arms. "Oh, gods..."

Dwyer shook his head and sighed. "Y'know, I don't think plucking a flower is a reliable way to learn to view yourself," he commented, startling the red haired girl.

Caeldori gasped and leaped to her feet, gulping. "Dwyer!" she cried. "D-Did you see what I was doing?"

'It's like Soleil's dancing all over again.' the butler thought to himself. "Everything," he stated bluntly.

Caeldori blushed, and glanced away. "D-Dammit..." She took a deep breath and locked eyes with Dwyer. "Go on then, tell me how foolish I am. It's what you're good at, right?"

The sleepy butler raised an eyebrow. "What?" he asked. "Why on earth would I-"

"Oh, Dwyer, I'm so jealous of you!" Caeldori suddenly blurted out, clenching her fists. "You're always so good, so _perfect_ at everything, while I'm stuck playing second fiddle!"

Dwyer's mouth actually fell open, and he officially had no idea what the hell was going on. "What are you talking ab-"

"I should be the one that's perfect!" Caeldori declared. "It's my duty as a Pegasus knight, and if I can't reach perfection then I only bring shame to the army!"

"You're taking this too far!" Dwyer tried reasoning. "There's no such thing as perfection! Hell, I'm barely capable of anything!" He took a deep breath. "Listen, I don't usually give out advice like this, but you just try being yoursel-"

"Mark my words, Dwyer!" Caeldori interrupted, pointing a finger at the butler's face. "Before this day ends, I will prove my perfection to you! Whether it be outdoing you in a contest of chores or winning your heart!"

"Contest of chores?" Dwyer echoed. "Winning my heart? Caeldori, what are-"

"I shall see you at lunchtime, Dwyer," Caeldori finished, winking before walking away, swaying her hips in an almost teasing manner.

Dwyer stared blankly after the girl as his mind slowly rebooted from that overload of...whatever it was. When he finally recovered, he shook his head and walked away in the opposite direction. 'That was strange,' he thought, hand reaching inside his pocket to play with shuriken inside it. Playing with the weapon was a habit Dwyer developed soon after learning his so called 'talent' with it.

"Dwyer!" Jakob's voice rang. Rolling his eyes, Dwyer turned around and waited for his father to approach him.

"Yes, Father?" the younger butler asked when the older one stood in front of him.

Jakob sighed. "Your mother caught a cold, so I need to be taking care of her instead of serving food to the army," he explained. "So I'm placing you on kitchen duty for today."

Dwyer's shoulders drooped. "All day...?"

"Of course not!" Jakob hissed. "Flora will eventually take over, I just need you to make and serve lunch to everyone, understand?"

"Understand," Dwyer sighed.

"Hmph." the older butler grunted. "Good. That will be all, then." Without speaking another word, Jakob walked off, leaving Dwyer alone once again. Dwyer watched his father enter the house he shared with Charlotte. The sleepy butler then made his way towards the mess hall, racking up ideas in his mind of what to serve the army. Lady Elise preferred vegetarian, Velouria and Selkie loved rare meat, and Miss Effie...

Miss Effie could eat a faceless and still ask for seconds.

Stepping into the dining area, he was greeted by Flora, Felicia's better, pretty much.

"You look tired," the ice maid noted.

Dwyer shrugged. "Things got a little strange before coming here," he explained vaguely.

Flora hummed, before she smiled. "Oh, and someone volunteered to help you out with your duties today!" she told him. "Isn't that sweet?"

Dwyer just grunted, making his way to the kitchen, grabbing an apron and tying it around his waist. He heard the sound of pots and pans cluttering, and he quickened his pace, throwing open the kitchen door. His eyes widened slightly. "Oh, gods...no..." he whispered to himself.

"Glad you finally made it!" Caeldori exclaimed, donning an apron of her own and wearing a chef's hat that was comically tilted, not that the Pegasus knight noticed.

"What are you doing here?" Dwyer demanded, stepping into the kitchen and searching for ingredients to use.

"I told you I would prove to you my perfection," Caeldori reminded the butler, smirking. "And what better way to prove it than showing you my kitchen skills?"

"...I can think of about a dozen different ways, actually," Dwyer deadpanned, pulling some garlic salt out of the pantry.

Caeldori chose to ignore that comment, instead she also began searching the pantry. "So what are we making?" she asked.

Dwyer shrugged. "A little bit of everything," he explained. "Everyone in the army has a very specific set of taste buds, they all prefer something different. Our jobs as cooks is to somehow create a dish that will leave everyone satisfied." His eyes caught the sight of a large salmon in the back, covered in ice. He approached it and lifted it up. 'It'll do,' he told himself.

"Wow, you're _so_ smart, Dwyer!" Caeldori praised, her words just a bit too sweet for Dwyer's comfort.

"Uh, yeah..." His mother pulled the same tone whenever she was around people besides her family, and hearing it in Caeldori worried him slightly. However, he chose to shove down the feeling, just wanting to get the dish done. Caeldori walked over to him, fixing her chef's hat.

"What do you want me to do?" she asked him.

Without looking, Dwyer pointed to his left. "Prepare the bread," he told her. "It needs to be baked just right. You don't recognize good bread by its texture or smell or anything like that, you recognize it by the sound it makes if you squeeze it."

Caeldori hummed in response, and Dwyer let out a small sigh of relief. 'That should keep her busy for awhile,' he thought, happy to now be focusing on his own task. 'Let's hope she doesn't screw it up...' He shuddered as he remembered the time Sophie accidentally burned all of the army's meat supply to a crisp. Velouria and her father actually had to steal the cows from local villages just to restock the supply.

He heard Caeldori carefully cracking each loaf of bread until the right sound emerged. It was always satisfying to hear, and Caeldori seemed to recognize that. She opened the oven and placed the bread inside, before glancing at the shadows and making note of their location. Nodding to herself, she searched for another task to do.

"You can handle the fish," Dwyer told her. "I'll make some chowder to go with it."

"Whatever you say, Dwyer," Caeldori said, eyes briefly shifting towards the shadows. The butler saw her do this, and raised an eyebrow.

"Why are you doing that?" he asked.

Caeldori smiled proudly. "To keep track of the time," she answered. "The bread has to be baked just right, after all!"

"And I agree with that," Dwyer said, nodding his head. Then he reached into his pocket, and pulled out a small pocket watch. "However, that's why we have these things."

"Oh..." Caeldori suddenly looked embarrassed. "O-Of course..."

The two stood there in silence, before quickly getting back to work. For the most part, the whole process went surprisingly smooth, much to Dwyer's delight. Although she needed some guidance every once and awhile, Caeldori was doing a good job keeping up with the butler. It was definitely the most time they've spent together, Dwyer noticed with an ever so faint blush on his cheeks.

Finally, the food was done, and Dwyer and Caeldori carried it out for the army, setting it down and allowing the soldiers to collect whatever it was they wished. However, Dwyer made sure to place a sign next to the food that said **Miss Effie is only allowed two large servings at most.**

The knight was disappointed, to say the least.

"They look like they're really enjoying it," Caeldori noted as she and Dwyer sat down at a table away from the others, taking small bites of their own meals. "Did I do well?"

"Admittedly, yes." Dwyer nodded his head and took another bite of his fish. "You have some decent kitchen skills."

Caeldori raised an eyebrow. "But...not perfect?" she assumed.

Dwyer sighed and rolled his eyes. "There's no such thing as perfect, Caeldori," he hissed. "I'm not sure where you got that idea from, but you should let it go."

Caeldori's eyes widened. "B-But I..." She trailed off, and suddenly the look on her face changed. "I mean, of course! You're absolutely right, Dwyer!"

The sleepy butler frowned. "Okay, what's with that tone?" he demanded. "There's only one person who also has that tone, and that's my mother. And if you're developing her tone, I feel like I should seriously be worried."

"Lesson number one!" The Pegasus knight declared. "You'll win people over if you're perfectly agreeable!" She grinned and leaned in close. "Did it work, Dwyer? Can you feel the barrier between us vanishing?"

Dwyer was silent for a few moments, before he sighed heavily through his nose. Shaking his head and wiping his mouth with a napkin, he stood up and took his plate of food. "Yup, not dealing with this," he grumbled. "Bye." He walked away, leaving Caeldori in shock.

"W-Wait!" she called, extending her arm toward the boy. "Dwyer, come back!"

Dwyer ignored the girl, sitting down on the empty seat next to Kana. The young princess looked up at him, tilting her head. "Is something wrong?" she asked.

Dwyer shrugged. "Just Caeldori being Caeldori," he growled. "Can't she just see that she's already great the way she is? That she doesn't need anything else to make her quote unquote perfect?"

Kana tapped her chin in thought. "Maybe you gotta tell her that," she suggested.

"Think I haven't tried?"

"Then try harder!"

Dwyer couldn't help but smile as he ruffled the princess's hair. She was too cute sometimes...

...

Later that night, Dwyer couldn't sleep. He laid there in his bed, tossing and turning, unable to find a comfortable position. Groaning, he sat up and slid out of his bed. Nope, he definitely wasn't getting any sleep until he got Caeldori out of his head, and the only way to do that was to confront her. 'I wonder if she's even still up,' he thought as he slid on his boots.

Stepping outside, he allowed himself a brief second to simply enjoy the cool night air. Sighing, he began walking towards the bunking area where the other children slept. He knew that only a select few, as in the royal children, actually slept in huts, the rest sleeping in tents. Dwyer knew Caeldori stayed in such a tent, and that hers was a bit more straight than the others.

As he made his way over there, he could've sworn he heard the sound of crying. Approaching the collection of tents, he noticed that it was coming from Caeldori's. Carefully weaving his way through the campgrounds, he stopped in front of the Pegasus knight's tent and knelt down. "Caeldori?" he whispered, hoping to catch her attention. The crying stopped, and Caeldori poked her head out of the tent flap.

"Dwyer?" she sniffled, wiping her nose. "What are you doing here..?"

"Checking up on you," the butler answered. "May I come in?"

Caeldori hesitated, but finally nodded, opening the flap. Dwyer crawled in, immediately taking note of the thin nightgown the red head was wearing. Dwyer coughed and looked away to cover his blush. Caeldori tilted her head in confusion, before she finally realized her state of dress. Coughing as well, she wrapped a blanket around herself before speaking to the boy across from her.

"Dwyer, I'm sorry..." she murmured.

Dwyer raised an eyebrow. "For?"

"For trying to prove to you that I was perfect," Caeldori explained.

Dwyer sighed. "Caeldori, you don't have to-"

"Do you know what it feels like, Dwyer?" the Pegasus knight whispered, cutting the butler off. "To live underneath your father's shadow, to want to be just like him but you're just _not good enough!"_ Caeldori buried her face in her arms, her shoulders shaking as she began to cry. "My father _is_ perfection, there's nothing he can't conquer! He was my hero for all of my life, my inspiration!"

"Caeldori..."

"But I'm useless!" the girl sobbed. "I can never live up to his expectations! I can never be like him! To have expectations set so high for yourself, but being unable to ever reach them..." She finally looked up at the butler, tears cascading down her face. "Do you know...what that feels like, Dwyer?"

Dwyer remained silent, and just when Caeldori thought he would never answer, the butler slowly nodded his head. "Yeah..." he muttered. "I do..." He locked eyes with her, giving her a look that was oddly comforting. "Everyday, I live underneath my father's thumb. He has his expectations for me, that I just can't reach. No matter what I did, what I do, it's never good enough for him." He shook his head. "I know how it feels, Caledori... I know how it feels for it to seem like the whole world is stacked against you..."

"Dwyer, I-"

"But you know what?" Dwyer continued. "I decided long ago that I wouldn't let my father's expectations control me. I decided that if I was going to succeed in being a butler, I would do it _my_ way, not the way my father does." He scooted closer. "Caeldori, you don't need anyone's approval. Believe me, you're perfect just the way you are, so just keeping doing you."

"D-Do you mean it?" Caeldori whispered.

Dwyer nodded, and smiled. "Keep it up, and the future will be just as bright and beautiful as you, Caeldori."

The girl blushed, and she glanced away. "That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me," she admitted. "I never would've thought I'd hear it from you, Dwyer."

The butler shrugged and winked. "Let's keep it our little secret," he told her. Caeldori giggled and nodded in agreement, before she suddenly threw her arms around Dwyer in a tight hug.

"Thank you, Dwyer..." she murmured, closing her eyes.

Dwyer blushed, but hugged the girl back. "No problem..."

The two finally pulled away, and said goodnight. Then Dwyer left the tent and began walking back to his own hut. However, halfway across the castle, he noticed his father keeping watch on top of one of the walls. Dwyer stared at Jakob for a few moments, before she shook his head and continued walking.

"Sometimes, I think you're the greatest mystery in the world, old man." Dwyer murmured.

...

 **Well if Caeldori doesn't fall for the guy after THAT, then I don't know... XD Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed that chapter! Let me know what you think of Caeldori, and also how you feel about Dwyer's interactions with his father. While this is a story about Dwyer's love life, the secondary plot is his rocky relationship with his father. Eventually, I want the two to be able to fully interact with each other without anything getting in the way, y'know? I want them to eventually be father and son by the end of this fic.**

 **ALSO, anyone notice the Ratatouille reference I snuck in there? ;D**

 **Don't forget to review! And remember, stay wykkyd!**


	10. In Which Nina Makes a Friend

**Nina... Nina, Nina, Nina. You adorable little archer, you. Admittedly, another hard character to write. Yeah, it's pretty easy to guess her** ** _basic_** **personality: She likes yaoi, hates her dad, can't talk to boys, likes stalking people, plays with puppets, and is possibly a gay porn enthusiast. Despite her being one of my favorite characters in Fates (enough for me to marry her, take that, Niles!), she, like many others, suffers from being...just a tad bit bland? Don't get me wrong! She's pretty well written compared to a lot of others, but most characters suffer from some kind of poor writing, including her, and (admittedly) even Dwyer. Still, her support with Dwyer is among my favorites, so I guess I have a few things to work with.**

 **Anyway, a good challenge is always nice, so let's hope I make this one count! Enjoy the chapter, everyone!**

 **...**

Lately, Dwyer had begun to develop the feeling that he was being watched.

It started off harmless enough. Occasionally he'd feel someone staring at him from behind, but there'd be no one there when he'd turn around to look. It was a little bit creepy, sure, but nothing he paid too much attention to. He just logically attributed the feeling to a lack of proper rest, since his father has been badgering him with new assignments for days now. He figured that once he was finally caught up with all of his chores and was able to catch up on his sleep, the feeling would disappear and be forgotten.

But he was beginning to think that his lack of sleep wasn't the problem.

The feeling soon became stronger and more distracting. No matter what Dwyer did, or where he went, the invisible eyes were always there, watching him. It came to the point where he didn't even feel safe in the bath house anymore, and he could've sworn that he saw someone behind the steam watching him. He eventually told himself that he was simply being paranoid, but once he decided to bring Asugi into the bath house with him, just to have some peace of mind.

Unfortunately, that only proceeded to make the feeling _worse,_ and soon Dwyer had to sadly ditch his friend.

Dwyer was beginning to grow sick of this mystery stalker, and he turned to anyone who would help. To his dismay, no one seemed able to chalk up a definitive answer. His mother somehow convinced Jakob to lighten Dwyer's load so he could rest more, but that did not hinder the invisible eyes. Velouria offered to track whoever it was that was stalking the poor butler, but by the end of the day she came back with zero results. The same thing happened when Selkie tried.

Eventually, Dwyer was reaching his wits end, and he was just about ready to turn in his resignation letter when his luck finally changed.

"Alright, Midori," the butler said, putting down his mop. "That's enough for now, you're free to go."

The young apothecary smiled brightly, and nodded. "Alright, thanks for your help!" She was about to leave when she turned back around, tilting her head. "Is that feeling still bothering you, Dwyer? Because I've been working on a potion that should be able to-"

"No thanks, Midori," Dwyer declined immediately, putting on a false grin. "The feeling's gone now, there's no need to nurture me." That was a total lie, but he had seen some of the things Midori put in her potions. He didn't really see how fish eyes were going to help him...

Midori bit her lip, as if she was ready to argue, but she sighed in defeat and nodded. "Well, if you're sure..." she murmured, before brightening up once more. "Thanks again for helping me clean the kitchen, you're the best!" She waved, and stepped out of the kitchen, closing the door behind her.

Dwyer sighed and leaned against the counter, the feeling immediately returning. The butler tensed up, and his hand reached into his pocket, fingers slowly wrapping around his lone shuriken. After days of preparation, he was finally ready... If the only way to get rid of this was to confront it head on, then he was going to take that chance.

He still had his resignation letter back on his bed, just in case.

His eyes carefully scanned his surroundings, and after a thorough search his sight settled on a barrel in the corner. Yes, whoever it was that was stalking him was definitely in there... He did his best not to stare at it as he walked towards the kitchen exit. "Well," he said to himself in a loud voice. "There's no point in staying here. Guess I should head back to my room now."

He exited the kitchen and closed the door behind him, immediately turning around with his shuriken raised high. It was faint and barely noticeable, but there was now a rustling coming from the other side of the door. Narrowing his eyes, he waited another moment before he threw the door open, hurtling the Hoshidan projectile with all his strength.

"EEK!" a shrill voice yelped, and the shuriken stuck itself into the wall. Dwyer quickly burst into the kitchen, and his eyes widened.

"Nina?!" he gasped.

"WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT?!" Nina shrieked, eyes bulging out of her sockets, her hand covering her torn sleeve. "Why'd you try to kill me?!"

"What the-" Dwyer jabbed a finger at the daughter of Niles. "Never mind that, why were _you_ stalking me?!" he hissed.

The archer huffed and crossed her arms. "I-I wasn't stalking you!" she protested, glancing away. "I was just...observing you, that's all."

Dwyer clenched his fists. "You were even watching me in the _bath house!"_ he accused. "Who even does that?!"

Nina blushed and covered her face with her hands. "Okay, fine!" she growled. "So what if I was stalking you? Not my fault you're the most interesting kid here!"

"Aha!" Dwyer exclaimed. "So you admit it,you-" He stopped, and raised an eyebrow. "Most...interesting?"

Nina peeked at the butler through her fingers, nodding slowly. "Y-Yeah..." she muttered, removing her hands, a blush now covering her face.

"I'm a little confused," Dwyer admitted. "What exactly are you talking about?"

Nina sighed and hoisted herself onto the counter, sitting on it. "I've been...watching you for awhile," she started. "And during that time, I've noticed...certain aspects of you."

Dwyer tilted his head, having no idea what she was referring to. "Like?" he asked.

Nina played with one of her braided pigtails. "Well, at first glance you seem like kind of a lazy jackass, to put it nicely," she explained. Her eyes widened and she waved her arms around. "B-But as it turns out, you're actually a really kind person! I've seen how you go out of your way to help others, and how much people actually seem to like you." She turned away. "You're just...you're that kind of person that someone can turn to in their time of need, you know? It's one of the many things I can't help...admiring about you." Her face was a bright crimson now, and she was beginning to fidget around.

Dwyer, however, ignored it. "That doesn't sound like an actual excuse for stalking me, though," he pointed out.

"That's the thing, though!" Nina said. "I've...been having a bit of trouble recently, and I thought I could turn to you for help..." She scratched the back of her neck awkwardly. "But I kept getting nervous, so I just stuck to stalking you..." She laughed and shook her head. "I'm not exactly the best at talking to boys."

"You're talking to me right now."

"D-Do you know how much effort this is taking?!" Nina cried out, throwing her hands into the air. "I'm freaking _sweating,_ Dwyer!"

The butler simply rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "So you said you've been having some trouble," he reminded her, changing the subject. "So why not tell me about it? I'll try my best to help."

Nina blinked. "R-Really?" she gasped in disbelief. "You'll help me?"

"If you just tell me what's wrong, then yes," Dwyer said, his eye twitching ever so slightly.

"Oh, yes!" Nina took a deep breath. "Promise not to laugh," she said, her tone turning serious.

Dwyer rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to laugh," he told her. "Laughter isn't a word in my dictionary."

"Was...that a joke?"

"Just tell me what's wrong, Nina."

Nina was silent for a few moments, her eyes fixated on her lap. Dwyer was beginning to grow worried, admittedly, and took a hesitant step towards the girl. "Nina..?"

"It's me!" Nina cried suddenly, startling the poor butler. "I'm what's wrong, Dwyer!"

Dwyer took another step. "Nina, there's no need to be so harsh-"

"You should've seen what happened earlier today!" the girl continued. "Lord Corrin of all people caught me playing with puppets... _Puppets!"_ She buried her face in her hands and shook her head. "It was so embarrassing! A-And I guess it made me think a little, a-and..."

",,,and?" Dwyer pressed, now next to her. When Nina didn't answer, Dwyer put a comforting hand on her soldier. "Nina, what next?"

"Do you think...there's something wrong with me, Dwyer?" she whispered. "I know my hobbies aren't considered 'normal' but I never paid much mind to it until today... Do you think that's why I don't have friends? Does everyone just think I'm that weird?"

Don't say things like that," Dwyer murmured, rubbing the girl's back. "You have plenty of friends."

Nina laughed bitterly. "Name one," she demanded.

Dwyer froze, and racked his brain for an answer. Finally, he sighed and shrugged. "Well...there's me?" he offered.

Nina lifted her head and stared at Dwyer, eyes wide and her cheeks pink. Finally, she smiled sadly and shook her head. "Maybe..." she mumbled, hopping off the counter. She began walking out of the kitchen, turning around and rubbing her arm. "Thanks for listening, Dwyer... I promise I won't stalk you anymore, sorry for making you uncomfortable."

Dwyer reached towards her. "Nina, wait!" he called.

The door slammed in his face.

Dwyer stared blankly at the door, silently assessing the situation. Finally, he groaned and ran his hand through his blonde hair. "How the hell am I going to fix this one?" he asked himself.

Better question: Why was he always the one who had to fix everything?

Dwyer began pacing the kitchen, clasping his hands behind him to stop them from moving. Out of all the problems he's been presented with, Dwyer could admit that this one was something he was struggling to find an answer to. Nina, despite wanting help, obviously wasn't _ready_ to accept that help, which made the sleepy butler's job a lot harder.

He stopped pacing. 'Did I just refer to this as a job?' he asked himself, before shaking his head. Maybe he should give up his life as a butler and just become a therapist instead. That resignation letter may just come in handy after all...

He needed to get out of the kitchen, he realized. Sighing, Dwyer walked outside, noticing that it was just about noon. He smirked, telling himself that he had plenty of time to solve this.

One thing Nina said stuck out to him. Was it true what she said? Did Nina really have no friends? Dwyer had rarely engaged with the girl, so he wasn't aware of her social situation, but surely she had to have _some_ friends, right? If an introvert like himself could have some friends, why shouldn't Nina? Yes, her hobbies were strange, but she was nice enough. Not to mention, she was actually extraordinarily beautiful, almost competing with Caeldori, if Dwyer were to be honest.

A light bulb went off in his head, and Dwyer mentally scolded himself for not thinking of it sooner. Perhaps that's what Nina needed: Friends! But the only question was, how was he going to help Nina find friends? Despite his own friends, Dwyer still didn't consider himself a social butterfly by any means...

"DWYERRRRR!"

Suddenly, the butler was tackled to the ground, tumbling across the field as Selkie clung to him like her life depended on it, furiously nuzzling her head into his shoulder. When he finally came to a stop, Dwyer attempted to pry the kitsune off of him. "Selkie!" he hissed. "What's with you?"

Selkie pulled away, on the verge of crying as she shoved the resignation letter in his face. "You're leaving?!" she cried. "Is this because of me?! Am I too rough?! I can change, Dwyer! Just don't gooooo!" She threw her arms around Jakob's son once again. Dwyer sighed and wriggled his way out of Selkie's arms.

"Of course I'm not leaving," he hissed, snatching the letter out of his bubbly friend's hands. "I've never seen this before in my life!" He proceeded to tear the paper to shreds, letting them fall to the ground. "Happy?" he asked her.

Selkie nodded, standing up and playing with her fox ears. "Sorry," she apologized.

"It's alright," Dwyer assured, brushing himself off. He suddenly remembered his task, and he asked, "Hey...are you friends with Nina, by any chance?"

"The yaoi fangirl?"

Dwyer blinked. "The what?"

"Hoshidan term," Selkie quickly explained. She bit her lip and shook her head. "I mean, I wouldn't _mind_ being her friend..."

"But you're not?"

Selkie frowned, a truly rare sight. "To be honest, I'm not sure anyone is more than an acquaintance to her..."

Ouch, Dwyer winced. So it was true, Nina really was friendless...

"Why are you asking, Dwyer?" Selkie wondered, tilting her head.

"...because there's something I have to do," Dwyer vaguely answered. "I'll see you later, Selkie, there's someone I gotta find."

"Ooooh." Selkie grinned. "I know that look in your eyes, Dwyer! You get it every time one of us asks you for something!"

"Then go tell our friends to meet up by Lilith's temple in two hours," Dwyer ordered.

Selkie nodded and eagerly scampered off, leaving the butler alone. Dwyer watched her leave, before he made his way to his parents' living quarters. He knocked on the door, and soon his mother opened it, raising an eyebrow. "Dwyer?" she asked. "Is something the matter?"

"I'm in need of some guidance." Dwyer answered, entering when his mother made room for him.

Charlotte smirked. "Is my little man having girl troubles?" she teased, ruffling her son's hair.

Dwyer frowned and lightly pushed his mother's hand away. "I guess you can call it that," he half-agreed. "A...friend of mine is going through some identity issues, and I guess I want to do something to cheer her up."

"Awe~" Charlotte cooed, clasping her hands together. "You're finally starting to think about girls! You know, your father was worried that you'd end up swinging the other way, but I knew that-"

"MOTHER!" Dwyer yelled, his face red. Well, there went the rest of his dignity...maybe he shouldn't have torn up his resignation letter after all, if what his mother told him was the actual truth.

"Oh, sorry!" Charlotte laughed, sitting the young butler down on a chair. She pulled up her own and sat down, folding her hands over her lap. "You say a girl needs cheering up? Well, what you do really depends on your relationship with her. Are you two just friends, or...?"

Dwyer coughed. "N-No," he stuttered. "Just friends." He ran his hands through his hair. "Besides...I think I have an idea?"

"Oh?" Charlotte raised her eyebrow again, and leaned forward. "And what would that be?"

Dwyer sighed. "How do you...throw a...surprise party...?" he forced out, murmuring the last bit.

Charlotte caught what he said, and her smile grew. "A surprise party?" she echoed. "Heh...I didn't think you'd be the one throw a party, son."

Dwyer shrugged. "Neither did I," he admitted. "But since I'm apparently everyone's personal therapist these days, I have to do _something_ to cheer her up."

"And a party is the way to go?"

"For this girl? Yes."

Charlotte leaned back in her chair, thinking for a few moments. "Well, Dwyer, this is what I would do..."

...

A few hours had past, and after explaining the situation to his friends, they all agreed to help him. The hours in between then and now were spent organizing the surprise party, which was being held at a tavern in a nearby village. It took the owner some convincing, but eventually the teenagers managed to snag the place for the evening. Now it was Dwyer's job to deliver Nina to the party.

"Nina?" he called, standing outside her tent. "There's something I have to say."

A few moments passed, before Nina stepped out of her tent, tilting her head in confusion. "Dwyer...? What are you doing here?" she asked.

Dwyer gave the girl a gentle smile, beckoned for her to follow as he stepped back. "There's something I have to show you," he explained. "It's at the local village not far outside the astral plane. It'll be a ten minute walk at most."

Nina just seemed more confused, but she eventually began following the butler. "Okay...what's going on?"

"You'll see," Dwyer cryptically replied.

The two walked in silence, eventually exiting the astral plane. In the distance, they could see the lights of the village, and Dwyer began walking once again. Nina caught up to him, and rubbed her arm. "Is this about what happened earlier today?" she wondered. When Dwyer didn't answer, she sighed. "I'm sorry about earlier, maybe I was just being stupid... Lord Corrin and I made up, so I guess everything's fine now..."

"Don't apologize, Nina," Dwyer told her gently. "I said I'd help you, and that's exactly what I'm going to do."

Nina stopped, and stared at the butler curiously. "What do you mean?"

Dwyer smirked and brought his finger to his lips, making a 'shushing' gesture. "C'mon," he said, walking once more. "We're almost there."

Nina bit her lip and followed, keeping pace with Dwyer's surprisingly quick strides.

Finally, they reached the village, and the archer was surprised when Dwyer stopped in front of a tavern. She slowly turned to face the butler, eyes wide. "You...brought me here for a drink?" she choked. "I-I-I don't drink alcohol, Dwyer..."

Dwyer ignored the girl and bowed, extending his arm towards the door. "If you'd do the honors," he said in the most butler-y voice he had ever put on.

Nina hesitated, but swallowed her slight anxiety down and nodded. She walked to the door, and placed her hand on the doorknob. Finally, she pushed the door open, and-

"SURPRISE!" came the large roar, startling Nina. Her eyes widened even more, and her hands flew up to her mouth. Everyone was there... Soleil was winking at her, Forrest was holding up a newly sewn dress that had the words _Nohr's Best Retainer_ on them, Ophelia was waving, Shigure was prepared to lead a musical band, Asugi held a cake, Selkie and Kana were bouncing excitedly, Velouria was in the corner with a casual thumbs up, Hisame held a jar of pickles with a ribbon attached, and Kiragi was holding a newly forged silver bow with a tag on it that read _For Nina._ Tears of joy formed in the archer's eyes. 'Everyone's here,' she thought.

A hand was placed on her shoulder, and Nina turned around to see Dwyer smiling proudly at his work. "D-Did you arrange this?" she asked him.

Dwyer nodded, patting the girl's shoulder. "You see?" he asked her, gesturing to the crowd of teenagers. "You have friends all around you, Nina. I mean, look at us! We're all unique, we all have strange quirks, but we're all still friends. You're no different, Nina."

Nina was silent, before she suddenly threw her arms around the butler, hugging him tight. Dwyer hugged back awkwardly. The archer smiled and whispered, "No wonder I fell for you..."

Dwyer didn't hear what she said, but something told him it was something he wasn't meant to hear, so he didn't press it.

"Alright," he said, pulling away. "I already went out of my way to organize this, so you might as well enjoy it." Nina nodded, and eagerly went off to mingle with her new friends. Dwyer folded his arms and watched from afar, when Ophelia stepped over to stand beside him.

"You've changed a lot since we first met," she told him. "Can you believe it's been almost two moons since you've been recruited?" When Dwyer raised an eyebrow, the young mage coughed. "Months," she clarified.

Dwyer shrugged. "It's been that long? Huh." The two stood in silence, before Ophelia spoke once more.

"What a shame Mitama decided not to participate," she said. "Perhaps the darkness has begun to creep into her soul, latching onto her and preventing her from blossoming like the flower I know she is! We must rescue her, Dwyer! She must bloom!"

Dwyer scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Or she just hates me," he pointed out. "You know she and I never got along."

Ophelia sighed sadly. "Perhaps it's you who must break the darkness's hold on her, then..."

Dwyer shrugged. "Maybe later," he said, staring at Nina, who was conversing with Shiro. The archer turned to Dwyer, and smiled brightly at him, mouthing _thank you._ Dwyer smiled and nodded, before telling Ophelia, "But for now, I just want to enjoy this night."

...

 **I've decided to establish Nina as one of the few who is already crushing on Dwyer. Anyway, I'm rather satisfied with this, to be honest. I didn't want to go what can probably be labeled as the 'cliche' route, and have the theme of Nina's yaoi obsession be the main drive. After viewing some of Nina's support conversations, she comes off as someone who is socially awkward, and I decided to explore that. I kept her stalking bit from her support with Dwyer, because I felt like that could act as a result of her social anxiety, and not just another comedic trope. Granted, I kept some comedy in there, since this is a humor fic in the end with some splashes of feels thrown in. Also, sorry for the lack of Jakob, but I wanted to give Charlotte some spotlight, since it's been awhile.**

 **Next up is Mitama's chapter, and something tells me that's gonna be A LOT of fun to write! After that, it'll be ending with Rhajat's chapter, and then we'll FINALLY be moving on to the main story. Yep, all of this was just a really long prologue XD The main story will continue to be episodic in nature just like always, but it will further explore Dwyer's growing relationships with each girl, and some other side characters as well (such as Jakob, Charlotte, and Asugi the official 'bro' of this story). It will also have have longer plots, that will probably extend to multiple chapters. Eventually, I want this story to end with everything wrapping together, and Dwyer in an established relationship. No sharing, just one gal ;P Who that will be, I have absolutely no clue. I might just leave that up for you guys to decide.**

 **This has been a blast so far, and I'm thrilled that so many people enjoy it! I was honestly surprised when even ONE guy started following, I never thought this story would get off the ground. Let's all work together from now on to keep this story going, okay? :D Don't forget to review! And remember, stay wykkyd!**

 **(Now excuse me while I join 90% of America as we sigh in shame as the Super Bowl ends, DON'T JUDGE ME!)**


	11. Sleepy Shipping Part 1

**Okay... I know I've said that Caeldori was hard to write, I know I've said that Nina was hard to write... BUT MITAMA! Oh boy, this one was a challenge! A bit of a shame since I sort of ship her and Dwyer, but that's besides the point. The point is, Mitama is a bit of a one trick pony. She's lazy and she writes haiku. Seriously, almost all of her supports centers around one of those two, if not both. At least with the previous two, I could chalk their habits up to being linked to massive insecurities, but Mitama...just doesn't work that way! I don't know, maybe I just haven't pooled in enough research, but I tried my doggone best to give this starry eyed wonder a breathe of fresh air.**

 **At least I know Rhajat will be easy... There's so many directions I can think of. Anyway, enjoy the chapter! And let me know what you think of my Mitama!**

 **...**

Dwyer stared at the calendar that was nailed to the wall across from his bed. He sighed, and took a few steps towards it, grabbing a pen and crossing off one of the days. He removed his hand from the calendar and stepped back, his eyes locked onto the day he had crossed off, before they moved on to the one next to it, which was circled upon Ophelia's request.

It was official. Dwyer had been in the army for two months. He could hardly believe it has been that long already, he felt like he barely joined a few weeks ago... The butler thought back on Ophelia's words from the other night. _"You've changed a lot since we first met."_

Had he? Dwyer certainly didn't feel any different. As far as he could tell, he was still the same, dry-witted, shaggy haired butler. Sure, maybe his training caused him to become a tad bit more muscular, but surely that couldn't have been what the dark mage was referring to, right?

It had been two days since Nina's surprise party, and Dwyer was stunned by the progress she made. Instead of simply indulging in her fantasies all day, the archer was now socializing with nearly every one of the children. The butler had never seen her smile so much, and it made him smile as well. Still, he was still sore from the partying, despite it being two days ago. Surely he deserved a quiet, peaceful nap for his two month anniversary, right? It's not like people _expected_ him to celebrate it, right?

Sighing, the butler snatched up his pillow and tucked it underneath his arm, before he opened his door and stepped out into the late morning outdoors.

He took his routine moment to breathe in the air, closing his eyes blissfully as it filled his lungs. Today had to be a good day, he felt it in his bones! With a slight prep in his step, Dwyer began his search for a grassy, cozy spot to catch some more shut eye. He deserved the good treatment, after how he helped Nina and all. Actually, how he helped _everybody._ He sure wasn't going to admit it any time soon, but it did feel good to help others.

He was heading for a small hill that had a beautiful cherry blossom tree to provide shade. Whenever he was in the mood for an outdoor nap, that spot was the place to go. He could make sight of it, and his smile brightened, a rare sight to see for the other members of the army. However, his smile quickly disappeared when he saw someone already there, laying down beneath the tree.

It was Mitama.

Dwyer turned around immediately, and was about to leave when another thing Ophelia said floated in his memory. _"Perhaps it is you who must break the darkness's hold on her, then..."_

To most, this would've just sounded like an 'Ophelia thing', but all the time he had spent with her allowed Dwyer to hear the meanings behind her strange speech. She was telling him to make peace with Mitama, and the butler did not want to think about what could happen to him if he didn't follow through.

Sighing reluctantly, he turned to face the sleeping poet, and cautiously approached. He froze halfway, though, and observed Mitama curiously. She was...actually kind of cute, now that he thought about it. Perhaps it was because this was honestly the first time he has ever saw her without a scowl across her face. The poet looked peaceful, and happy...

Dwyer somehow knew his presence would disturb that, but he forced himself to continue onward. It wasn't until he was right above the sleeping girl that he felt guilty. Should he truly be intruding like this? He was about to turn around when a voice said, "Oh, it's you."

The butler glanced down, and he saw those familiar star shaped eyes looking at him. She wasn't glaring at him for once, but her expression was far from friendly. Dwyer forced a smile on his face and nodded. "Yup," he said. "It's me."

Mitama sighed. "What do you want?" she hissed.

"I came here to take a nap," Dwyer replied.

"This spot's taken. Go away."

The butler narrowed his eyes. "There's plenty of room," he pointed out, gesturing to the surrounding area. "I always nap here, I'll just stay a few feet away from you, you won't even know I'm here."

"Your mere presence is enough to anger me," Mitama growled, sitting up now and folding her arm. "Your presence brings pain/ A sharp arrow pierces me/ An arrow of grief."

Dwyer rolled his eyes, now regretting his decision to come here. "Whatever," he muttered. "I'm not dealing with this." He turned around and began walking away, fully aware of Mitama's satisfied smirk. The butler had a plan to circle around and lay down on the opposite side of the tree, but he could feel those starry eyes watching his every move, making sure that he truly was leaving.

'Well that plan failed,' he thought.

"Dwyer!" Mitama's voice rang from behind, and the butler turned to see the girl approaching him. She stopped in front of him, and held out her hand, as if wanting something. Dwyer stared at it in confusion, and then his gaze was slowly brought back up to Mitama.

"What?" he asked.

Mitama huffed in annoyance and pointed at Dwyer's pillow. "Since you've woken me up, you need to sacrifice something of yours," she explained. "That pillow of yours will do just fine."

The butler's eyes widened, and he instinctively hugged his pillow closer. "What on earth are you talking about?" he hissed, stepping back. "This is my favorite pillow! You can't just 'sacrifice' it!"

"Every action has consequences, Dwyer!" the girl with the star eyes barked.

"I'm not going to give up my pillow just to help boost your own ego!"

Ego?" Mitama snorted. "That's quite rich, coming from you!"

Dwyer raised an eyebrow. "Ego?" he repeated. "I don't have a clue what you mean."

Mitama scoffed. "Whatever."

"I think you just said I have an ego in order to mask your own," Dwyer pointed out, frowning. "Mitama, I know you and I haven't gotten along in the past, but can we just stop this childish bickering from now on? It's getting us nowhere!"

"There's nowhere for us to get to." Mitama said, turning away.

Dwyer sighed and shook his head. "Whatever, I tied," he muttered, walking away.

"Prove yourself to me."

The butler turned back around, raising an eyebrow. "Huh?"

"If you won't offer a sacrifice, then prove yourself to me," Mitama stated. "Prove that I was wrong about you." Her eyes narrowed. "However unlikely that may be."

"And how am I supposed to do that?" Dwyer asked, his arm tightening around his pillow slightly.

Mitama puffed her cheeks and placed her hands on her hips. "Figure it out, idiot!" she snarled.

Dwyer winced a tad bit, before he silently nodded and walked away, having little idea what he just put himself through. 'How the hell am I supposed to quote unquote prove myself?' he asked himself, eyebrows furrowing. All he wanted to do today was take a nap...

Couldn't Mitama have just been like the others and actually _have_ a problem he could help solve? Couldn't things just be easy? "Nope," he whispered underneath his breath. "With Mitama, nothing's easy..."

...

Mitama stared after the butler as he left, sighing and slowly returning to her spot underneath the tree. Yawning, she allowed herself to settle down onto the soft grass, and a smile formed on her face...

...until an image of Dwyer popped up in her head.

Growling, the poet sat up in frustration, catching sight of a pair of feminine legs in front of her. Following them up, she saw Ophelia standing over her, arms crossed and a frown on her face. Mitama returned the frown and crossed her arms against her chest. "What?" she asked. "I gave him a chance, just like you wanted."

The dark mage sighed. "It could've gone a lot better," she muttered.

"Not my fault he's uncooperative," Mitama said, shrugging.

Ophelia's eyes narrowed. "Mitama," she began slowly. "Did you ever stop to think that it's _you_ who is being uncooperative?"

For once, Ophelia's words seemed to reach the starry eyed poet. Mitama glanced away, biting her lip. She didn't answer her friend, and Ophelia internally celebrated, happy to know that she finally got the Hoshidan to listen.

"Why do you hate Dwyer?" she asked, sitting down next to Mitama. "It can't seriously be because he insulted your poetry, right?"

"Of course not," Mitama scoffed. "I'm not that shallow, and hate is a rather strong word. 'Loathe' would be a much more appropriate word choice."

'Still not that much of an improvement,' Ophelia thought. "But why?" she asked again. "Dwyer is a chosen one, Mitama! He's one of the best people in the army! Everyone else can see that, why can't you?"

"..." Mitama, once again, did not answer. She simply drew her knees and rested her chin on them.

"Mitama..?"

"Why, you ask?" Mitama whispered. "Who knows? Perhaps he reminds me of everything I dislike about my father, perhaps I am envious of him, perhaps I view him as a rival due to our similar roles, or perhaps I simply wish for him to be gone." She turned her head slowly back to Ophelia. "Or perhaps I never wished to loathe him in the first place, but I feel like it is too late for me to undo my mistakes."

"But it isn't too late!" Ophelia exclaimed, hopping to her feet. "You can still confront him about these things, Mitama! He won't turn you away, I know it!"

Mitama blinked, then sighed. "I'm a prideful woman, Ophelia. Can I face this boy?/ Whose very eyes shake the soul?/ My heart whispers no." After a moment of silence, Mitama pulled out her paper and brush, and carefully wrote the new haiku down for later uses. After she was done, Mitama put her materials away and shook her head. "If he is as good as you say he is, then he will prove it," she said.

Ophelia shook her head. "You are the most stubborn woman I've ever met," she grumbled. "And I have met Caeldori's mother..."

Mitama smirked, obviously taking some pride from that claim. "Perhaps," she said. Her face then turned serious, and she turned to stare at where Dwyer had walked off to. "He better not let me down..."

"He won't," Ophelia assured.

...

Days had past, and the first signs of winter were beginning to show themselves. Dwyer would've been content with just hibernating for the entire season, but Mitama's request still stood in his way. Dwyer would often sigh in frustration, as he tried everything he could think of. From sewing quilts to making her tea, from basically being her personal servant for a day to baking her five hundred croissants. _Five hundred!_ Who even _needed_ that many?!

No matter what he tried, however, Mitama would simply turn her nose up and huff, telling him to go try again. Seriously, Dwyer could handle her not appreciating his work, but for her to actually _toss_ _away_ the quilt he made?! That was taking things too far!

He would've given up right then if it wasn't for Ophelia's pleading look she tossed his way.

And now, to make matters even worse, the army was marching again. In the winter. _Up a gods-damn mountain!_

Dwyer tightened the scarf around himself, shivering as the snow began picking up. He wasn't built for this...this was for some hardened warrior who spilled the blood of hundreds, not some scrawny butler with nothing but a homemade scarf! He knew that this mountain was the only way for them to reach their next stop, though. He attended the war meeting the previous morning with his father, and Lord Corrin discovered that going around the mountain would not only take too long, but there have been numerous sightings of larger-than-usual faceless, and the army really wasn't in the mood to deal with that.

"T-This is the worse!" Nina stuttered, wrapping her thin cloak tighter around herself. "I k-knew I should've bought s-some winter w-wear!"

"Tell me about it..." Dwyer muttered. He began to unwrap his scarf, when Nina placed her hand on his.

"D-don't." she told him. "It's not w-worth freezing just t-to keep me a little warm. I'll b-be f-fine..."

Dwyer frowned, but didn't argue. He instead concentrated on moving forward, when he caught sight of Mitama several paces ahead. Like everyone else who was ill-prepared, she was shivering, although unlike everyone else, she was attempting to hide it by putting on a determined front.

"N-no luck with her?" Nina asked. Dwyer sighed and nodded. Nina frowned, and glanced away. "W-well, f-for what it's w-worth... I-I think you already d-did the b-best you c-could..."

"Thanks." Dwyer said, before he quickened his pace until he was right next to Mitama. The poet glanced at him and sighed.

"W-What do you want..?" she hissed.

Dwyer forced himself to give a friendly smile. "You look cold," he pointed out, offering his scarf to her.

Mitama looked at it for a moment with just the faintest blush, before she huffed and turned away. "Do you offer your scarf to all of the girls in the army?" she asked. "Is this some attempt to woo the hearts of many?"

"Um...no?" Dwyer replied, not knowing what Mitama was even talking about anymore. "I just thought you could use some warmth, sorry for making you uncomfortable."

"Forgiven," the poet said curtly.

Dwyer stared at the girl, shaking his head and returning his focus ahead of him. When were they going to get off this damn mountain...?

Then, suddenly, the worst thing that could've happened...happened.

"Invaders!" a voice that sounded a lot like Sir Benny's shouted, and in an instant the battle began. The dreaded invisible soldiers seemingly appeared out of nowhere, taking the form of various ninjas and samurais. Chaos erupted, and Dwyer watched in shock as the entire army was scattered, and he immediately knew that they were fighting a losing battle.

A dagger came out of nowhere, and Dwyer sprung into action. He grabbed Mitama's waist and yanked her away, the dagger soaring past her head. The poet's eyes widened, and she pushed away from Dwyer before rushing into the fray, holding up her healing staff. The butler gritted his teeth and gripped his own healing staff, turning around and mending a wounded Nina, who nodded her thanks before firing a barrage of arrows at the enemy.

A cry of pain caught his attention, and he turned around to see Selkie limping, an arrow through her leg. Dwyer rushed to his friend's aid, and he let her bite into his shuriken as he yanked out the bloody projectile. Selkie gasped in pain, but soon relaxed as her wound was healed. Then, her eyes widened. "Dwyer, look out!" she cried, and Dwyer turned around to see a sword swinging towards him.

Caeldori blocked it, and shoved the enemy back. With a cry, she lunged and impaled the invader. Sighing in relief, she gave Dwyer a brief nod before disappearing back into the battle. Dwyer turned back to Selkie, who was slowly rising to her feet. She stumbled, but Dwyer caught her. "Careful," he warned. "You should probably sit this one out for awhile."

Selkie puffed out her cheeks. "But I can-"

"Selkie, please." Dwyer interrupted, narrowing his eyes. Selkie hesitated, but finally nodded in defeat and gave her friend his shuriken back. Dwyer nodded as well, and he quickly rushed off to aid his allies.

A blast of fire appeared from his side, suddenly startling the butler. He turned around and saw that the invaders had mages now, and the battle was quickly growing closer to the side of the invisible warriors. He heard Lord Corrin shout orders, and the army was now making one last push to drive off the invaders. Dwyer took a deep breath and pulled out his shuriken. He glanced at it, whispering, "Please be useful for once."

He found a lone mage, and Dwyer took careful aim before he whipped his shuriken out of his hand. With a satisfying sound, the Hoshidan projectile stopped right between the invader's eyes. Dwyer stared at the dead monster, before he pumped his fist in the air. "Yes!" he cried. "I did it!"

Suddenly, dozens of eyes turned to him, all belonging to the invaders. Dwyer gulped, but before the invaders could attack, Jakob leaped in front of his son. "Get back, Dwyer," he ordered. "I'll take care of this!"

"No!" Dwyer protested, stepping forward. "I won't hide behind others anymore!"

"This isn't your battle, son..." Jakob growled, slashing open the throat of an enemy. "Go and heal the wounded. They need you more than I do."

"But, I-" Dwyer stopped, knowing this wasn't the time to argue. He nodded reluctantly, and ran off to heal his friends.

...

The battle ended as quickly as it had begun. As far as Dwyer could tell, no one in the army was lost. However, there was no way to be completely sure, since he had elected to stray a little from the group. The butler sighed and collapsed onto the snow, not caring about the cold at the moment, he was just grateful to be alive. 'I need a vacation,' he thought, before quickly adding, 'a paid vacation.'

"Well, I suppose it's nice to see you still alive," Mitama's familiar snarky tone sounded from above. "I would hate to see you unable to fulfill your sacrifice."

"I'm glad your safe too, Mitama," Dwyer replied, rolling his eyes. He found himself meaning it, though. Despite the front she put on, Mitama had to have had her good side, right?

"Well, I suppose I'll leave you alone now..." Mitama walked away, and Dwyer couldn't help but notice that it was the most civil she's been with him.

'Well that's progress, right?'

He glanced over at where Mitama was standing. She was standing over one of the mountain's cliffs, looking up at the sky with her paper and brush in her hand. 'Another haiku, huh?' Dwyer smiled softly, before closing his eyes. 'Welp, time for nap...'

"MITAMA!" a voice shrieked. Dwyer's eyes burst open just in time to see the snow underneath Mitama's feet give away, and he could only watch in complete horror as the poet plummeted down, becoming lost in the deep darkness below.

"No!" Dwyer shouted, rising to his feet. He scrambled to the edge of the cliff, peering down. Only a large, gaping black hole greeted him. "No..." he whispered. "Mitama!"

It couldn't be...she couldn't be...

"Mitama!" he shouted again.

"Dwyer!" Jakob hissed. "Get away from there!"

Dwyer glanced back up, and just then he felt something crack underneath him. His eyes widened. "Oh, you cannot be serious," he managed to deadpan, before the cliff gave away a second time.

And just like that, the army watched helplessly as two of its best healers were now at the mercy of the ice covered mountain.

...

 **Well that ending was certainly a...CLIFFHANGER! Yep, we're going two parts for Mitama, because honestly...I just cannot resolve her and Dwyer's issues in just one chapter. I tried, but it just looked...bad. Like, REALLY bad. Anyway, I tried making Mitama have a bit more character than her in game counterpart, but I'm not sure I really got to do that much in THIS part. Hopefully, the next part will be a LOT better.**

 **Don't forget to review! And remember, stay wykkyd!**


	12. Sleepy Shipping Part 2 (and foxy Niles)

**Alrighty, so far this weekend has been a doozy, and school is kicking my butt. I have WAY too many creative projects to do at once, and that kind of pressure is already stressing me out. I'm already failing English (surprising, right? XD) and I really don't need my grades getting any lower.**

 **But enough about that. MITAMA! The starry-eyed wonder who is nearly impossible to write properly in a story all about character without literally changing everything about her. *sigh* Things are never easy, are they? Welp, the super long, 13-chapter prologue is almost over, so just keep on trucking with me, guys! So without further ado, enjoy the chapter!**

 **...**

He felt like his lungs were on fire.

Dwyer wasn't aware of anything other than the unbearable pain. Around him, there was nothing but a never ending void of black, and he was floating right in the middle of it. It hurt to breathe, he wanted to scream every time he inhaled. He gritted his teeth and tried willing the pain away, but he knew it was a futile attempt.

What happened, anyway? Where was he, what was going on?

 _"...yer..."_

What was...that? A voice? It sounded familiar... He tried racking through his mind for a face to pin to the voice, but the pain in his lungs distracted him from doing so.

 _"...wyer!"_

There it was again! Dwyer opened his mouth to speak, but nothing but a pained moan came out. 'I'm here!' he thought, calling to the voice. 'What's going on?!'

 _"...Dwyer!"_

Was that... Dwyer thought hard, slowly linking a familiar face to the voice. Blue hair...star shaped eyes... His own eyes widened. 'Mitama!' he realized. Suddenly, all of the events that led up to this returned to memory. The battle against the invaders, Mitama's fall, he tried to save her...He fell too.

 _"Dwyer, wake up, dammit!"_

The butler's eyes burst open, his world fading away into reality once more. He shot up, too quickly, and the fire inside his chest burned hotter than the sun. Dwyer let out something that sounded like a very hoarse scream, and he collapsed back down, his breathing shallow. 'I can't breathe!' he panicked. 'I can't breathe!'

"Dwyer, remain calm!" a voice gently ordered, and Dwyer's eyes shifted to the side, where he met a pair that were beautifully star-shaped.

"M...Mita...ma..." he whispered, biting his lip.

"Shhh..." the poet cooed in an almost motherly tone. "Don't say anything, you took a very bad fall." She raised her healing staff, and the comforting white glow began surrounding it. "I need to heal you..."

"W-Was that...a haiku...?" the butler asked.

Mitama frowned, and sighed in annoyance. "You nearly died, yet you still somehow remain annoying..." she muttered. "I told you not to speak, that fall could've killed you! Now stay still and keep quiet, I don't need your messing this up!"

She continued her healing process, while Dwyer silently watched her. It was strange... The girl was normally so brash, uncaring. To be a healer, Dwyer believed that you had to have some compassion, which was one of the reasons why Mitama confused him, since he had never seen her act in such a way. He could now tell that he was wrong about his previous image of her.

In all truth, he was surprised. Mitama's eyes were narrowed in focus, and she was putting so much effort into this that she was beginning to sweat. Yet still, she treated him carefully, not allowing one mistake to go unnoticed. Admirable, he decided. He could easily respect a healer who put so much effort into her work. Mitama slowly guided the staff over Dwyer's body as she continued her work. She was humming a soft tune, one that Dwyer had heard Setsuna hum a few times during marches. It was a beautiful song, one that Dwyer would often stop his chores to listen to whenever the simple-minded archer walked by.

Slowly, the fire was put out, and Dwyer could finally breathe once again. He took long, deep breaths, not wanting to put too much pressure on himself. Mitama leaned back and panted slightly, but she otherwise looked proud of her work. Dwyer stayed on his back, not daring to sit up just yet. Instead he turned his head to face Mitama fully.

"How far did I fall?" he asked her.

Mitama frowned and pointed up. The butler followed her finger, and saw just a small patch of light from above. "Pretty far..." the poet sighed. "Enough to fracture all of your ribs, as well as cause some internal bleeding." She turned to Dwyer. "You're lucky to be alive, Dwyer," she told him. "If I didn't have my healing staff, you would've died."

...That certainly didn't sound pleasant...

Dwyer raised an eyebrow. "But what about you?" he wondered. "Shouldn't you have been critically injured as well?"

"I'm fine," Mitama assured, smiling a bit. "There were a few ledges I tumbled onto when I fell, I didn't plummet straight down like you did." She caught a look in the butler's eyes and crossed her arms. "I'm _fine,_ Dwyer. I had a broken leg, but I managed to take care of it."

Dwyer wasn't so sure, and he forced himself to sit up. He hissed in pain, but didn't complain. "Still...nothing wrong with a little check up," he said. "If you would lay down, please."

Mitama blushed and backed away. "Excuse me?!" she gasped. "I don't want your pervert hands all over me! I'm not as easily tricked as those other girls!" She pointed a finger at him. "So you just stay away, you hear?"

Dwyer coughed and blushed as well, his eye twitching. "Pervert?!" he echoed. "What the hell are you talking about?! I just want to make sure you're alright, that's all!"

"Y-You cannot trick me, Dwyer!" Mitama declared. "Don't think I haven't seen through your tricks! Why does he do this?/ For friendship, or a dark lust?/ A trickster indeed."

Dwyer rolled his eyes. "Give me a break, Mitama!" he groaned. "It's not like that at all!" He shook his head. "But fine, I won't check up on you." Mitama nodded, and the two sat in silence for awhile, them having no sense of time at the current moment. Finally, Dwyer said, "it's friendship, by the way."

The poetic Hoshidan scoffed. "So you claim."

Dwyer narrowed his eyes, and he briefly glanced up at the splash of light that served as the outside world. Figuring they had all the time in the world at this point, he turned to face Mitama again and scooted closer to her. "Why are you like this?" he asked her.

Mitama blinked, and then narrowed her eyes as well. "Like what?" she responded, her tone challenging.

Dwyer gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. "Like _that,"_ he hissed. "What's your problem, Mitama? You've hated me ever since we've met, and I'm sick of being left in the dark!" He took a deep breath. "We might be down here for who knows how long, and if my fate is to die here with some rude poet then I at least want to know why she's rude in the first place!"

Mitama's eyes widened, as did her jaw. She seemed honestly surprised by Dwyer's...unusual outburst. 'Good,' thought the butler. 'Maybe now she'll actually listen to me.'

"You..." Mitama seethed, eyes flaring. "You JACKASS!" Her hand whipped out, and a harsh _SMACK_ echoed throughout the cavern. The slap was powerful enough to send Dwyer flying back, and he held his cheek in shock, a bright red hand print decorating it. Dwyer glanced up, and saw Mitama standing over him, breathing heavily. "You think I hate you?!" she yelled. "You think that I never wanted to be your friend?! You complete JERK!" Dwyer noticed tears pooling at the bottom of Mitama's eyes, and a pang of guilt formed in his gut.

"Mitama-"

 _"Shut up!"_ the poet hissed. "Gods, I swear you're just like my father sometimes. You may not be obsessed with death or such, but that irritating sarcastic and apathetic attitude is one in the same..." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, before opening them again. "...you want to know why I treat you like I do, Dwyer?" she asked him, her voice eerily quiet. Dwyer silently nodded, and Mitama slowly sat down. Immediately she drew her knees up to her chin, resting it between them. She stared right at Dwyer, her eyes never leaving his. "It's because-"

"HEEEEY! Are you guys alright?!" a voice from above called out. "We heard voices! Mitama? Dwyer?"

"Sophie?" Dwyer gasped, standing up. "Sophie, we're okay!" he shouted, cupping his mouth with his hands.

A pause. "Oh, thank goodness!" Sophie cheered. "You guys just stay put- Uh, I mean...uh..."

"I get it, Sophie," Dwyer sighed, rolling his eyes.

Yet another pause. "Well, uh, good!" Sophie cried. "Anyway, we're gonna find a way to get you back up here, just hang on!"

Dwyer smiled. "Alright, Sophie!" he called up. "We'll be waiting!" His smile then fell, and he sighed and ran a hand through his blonde hair. He turned back to Mitama, and raised an eyebrow. "Mitama?"

The poet had her back to the butler, in the same feeble position she was in before. Dwyer hesitantly took a step towards the poet. "Mitama, what's wrong?" he asked, reaching out towards her.

"Don't..." he heard the girl whisper, and it was just then that he noticed that she was crying. "You know why I treat you the way I do, Dwyer? You know why I act like I hate you?" A few moments passed before Mitama turned to face the butler, her star shaped eyes watery. "It's because you're everything I wish I could be," she forced out. "You're better than me in nearly every way, don't think I haven't been watching you." She buried her head in her arms. "You're a better healer, a better friend to others... You're better in every sense, you even recite better haiku!"

Dwyer chewed the inside of his lip as he listened to the girl. She...never hated him? All of this time, she was _jealous_ of him? "Mitama, listen..." he began.

"Please," interrupted the poet, "just let me finish." Dwyer closed his mouth, and Mitama continued. "I'm a prideful woman, Dwyer. There were many times when I _wanted_ to speak with you as a friend, when I _wanted_ us to get along... My pride simply got in the way every time." She smiled sadly. "I've seen the things you've done, the people you've helped. It was so admirable, so selfless... The army needs more people like that. Many times I laid awake at night, simply _wishing_ that I could be like that, that I could be that light in another's life. Alas, I'm sure you're familiar with the reputation I've garnered."

Dwyer could not help but smile just a little, which Mitama returned. She then sighed and returned to facing the cavern wall. "Jealousy," she said, "was my sole reason for treating you the way I have." She scoffed. "Now that I'm actually admitting it, I realize how immature it must sound to you..." She looked back at him, worry filling her eyes.

Dwyer shrugged. "We're kids," he stated, like it would solve everything. "More accurately...We're kids fighting a war." He smirked. "I think we can afford to act immature every once and awhile." He then placed a finger to his lips and winked. "That's our little secret, though. No one up there needs to know about this."

Mitama giggled.

Mitama _actually_ giggled. "Our hero, Dwyer/ His kindness reaches all of us/ We love him dearly," she recited.

Dwyer blushed and glanced away, scratching the back of his neck. "That's a little much, don't you think?" he muttered. "A simple 'thanks' is all that I'll ever need, anyway..."

The poet rolled her eyes and said nothing, turning back to look at the cavern wall. Dwyer watched her, with a new light in his eyes. This wasn't the same girl he had known before, this was someone else...a friend. An unlikely friend, but one Dwyer would not mind having. "Thank you," he said, "for telling me." When Mitama didn't answer, he continued. "No, really, I'm-"

"You're welcome, Dwyer," Mitama chuckled. "I'm glad I told you, too. A weight, now lifted/ My heart, it's now free to soar/ I shall touch the sky."

"What are you even talking about, saying that I recite better haiku?" Dwyer teased, feeling a little lighthearted.

Mitama shrugged, and laughed awkwardly. "I might have said that only to further prove my point..." she murmured, crossing her arms against her chest.

"So I've noticed."

The two stared at each other, enjoying the comfortable silence that had began. Dwyer finally sighed and sat down, glancing up at the splash of light. "I wonder when they're coming to get us," he said. "It's taking them quite awhile..."

"They're probably coming up with a foolproof plan," Mitama suggested, also turning her head up. "We did fall far, they're probably exercising precise caution and-"

"GERONIMO!"

"...or they could stupidly leap into the cavern," the poet deadpanned.

The two could only watch as Niles, the father of Nina, dived into the cavern with a rope attached to his waist. He stopped short just a foot above them, and casually greeted them with, "Hey."

"That didn't seem like the safest plan..." Dwyer muttered, which Niles caught.

The one-eyed thief shrugged. "It worked, didn't it?" He then gestured the children to come closer to him, and he wrapped his arms around the two once they did. "You two must be a lot tougher than you look in order to survive a fall like this," he remarked. He then turned his head upwards and yelled, "Benny, ya big lug! Pull us up!" Turning back to Dwyer and Mitama, he grinned and told them, "Hold on tight. Don't be afraid to cop a feel as well, if you're into that."

Dwyer shuddered, and the three were soon being lifted up...by what Dwyer can only guess was Mister Benny's unimaginable strength. However, the butler soon noticed something...odd, as did Mitama. The poet squirmed and asked, "Ah, Mister Niles? Why are you naked?"

Niles raised an eyebrow, and looked down at himself. "Oh, yeah..." he muttered. "It's best I let you figure that out for yourself, kid..."

"No, please tell us," Dwyer demanded. "I wouldn't want to imagine the possibilities..."

Niles coughed but didn't say anything, obviously not going to answer. Dwyer sighed and did his best to keep his leg away from the outlaw's crotch.

Finally, the three made it out of the cavern, and collapsed onto the snow. Dwyer breathed a large sigh of relief, and he glanced over to see Mitama smiling at him. She leaned in closer and whispered, "Don't go telling anyone about our talk down there, okay?" she flashed him a playful warning glare, and Dwyer nodded.

"Alright," he agreed. "Not a soul will hear about it."

Mitama nodded. "Good."

The two then stood up and turned around to look at the army...although they immediately wished they hadn't.

Dwyer glanced back at the 'rope' that was used to lift Niles, Mitama, and himself out of the cavern. It was made entirely of clothing tied together. Taking a deep breath, Dwyer forced himself to look back at the army to assess what the hell actually happened.

All the men were naked.

Even old man Gunter.

Dwyer promptly turned around and emptied his stomach contents, the image of the nude old man would be burned in his memory for all of his days. Every night he would awaken in a cold sweat, all because of that wrinkled knight. On his deathbed, he would whisper his last regrets, and one of them would be _Gunter._

'I would've preferred staying in that cavern over this...' the traumatized butler thought.

Mitama seemed to be having a similar experience, and for the rest of the march through the mountain, they refused to make eye contact with any of the older men. To say the whole experience was awkward would've been a criminal understatement. Once or twice Jakob attempted talking to his son, as Azama tried with his daughter. Both teenagers never uttered a word for the rest of the day, and would only speak again once they had long passed the mountain.

...

"You are _insufferable!"_ Mitama hissed, jabbing a finger into Dwyer's chest. "To think that Ophelia would want to spend her time with someone like _you_ is completely absurd!"

"Me?!" Dwyer gasped, before scoffing. "Give me a break and stop being so full of yourself! If anyone is a bad example to her, it's you!"

Those star shaped eyes flared with the fury of a tigress. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?!" she snarled.

Dwyer smirked. "Exactly what you think it means, Mitama," he taunted. "I know, let's ask Ophelia what she thinks." The two turned to the dark mage, who was suddenly shaking underneath their gaze.

"Oh no, please don't bring me into this!" she pleased, backing away slowly. "I thought the whole cavern incident would've made you friends, what went wrong?!"

"Friends?!" Dwyer and Mitama repeated in unison.

"Haiku girl isn't worth the effort," Dwyer grumbled, glancing away.

"Hmph," Mitama grunted. "I wouldn't want to be caught dead with this lazy, apathetic buffoon. His presence mocks me/ A parasite and disease/ He should be rid of."

"Ohhh..." Ophelia groaned. "I can't take this! Someone help! Father! Mother!" Ophelia ran away, her arms in the air.

Once she was gone, Dwyer frowned. "Think we took it a _little_ too far? he wondered.

Mitama sighed and shrugged. "We should probably apologize to her later," she said. "She looked absolutely distraught."

"Mhmm," Dwyer agreed. He then turned to the poet, a small smile forming. "So...how about a nap?"

"That," answered Mitama, "sounds wonderful. Why don't you lead the way?"

The two then walked away, heading towards the cherry blossom tree on top of the hill. Waiting there were the teenagers' favorite nap-time pillows. The two laid back and settled against them, both sighing in content. They turned to each other and smiled, before Mitama turned her back on Dwyer and closed her eyes, and it wasn't long until the butler heard snoring. Dwyer's smile grew, and his eyes soon closed as well.

He deserved this nap.

...

 **Love it? Hate it? Somewhere in between? Anyway, that's Mitama's chapter! Last up will be Rhajat's, which I'm REALLY looking forward to. Rhajat is one of those special girls I ship Dwyer with, but then again that might not be saying much considering I ship him with pretty much every female child unit on the roster. (Now that I'm thinking about it though, Dwyer and Nah sound like a very interesting pair...hmmmm, gonna have to consider that!)**

 **This chapter turned out just a little shorter than what I was expecting, but that shouldn't be too big of a surprise, considering how much of a pain in the ass it was to write. Don't forget to review! And remember, stay wykkyd!**

 **(And seriously tell me what you think of that Dwyer x Nah gig XD or any other Awakening gals!)**


	13. The Butler, The Diviner, and The Feels

***sigh* The division of the fan base breaks my heart with all of this 'elite vs casual' crap. Hopefully Echoes manages to bring the two together, but somehow I just have the feeling that it'll just end up making things worse. Anyway, welcome back, everybody! This will be the final 'intro' chapter, and it's starring Tharja...I mean, Rhajat! Now, Rhajat is interesting. In terms of how well written she is, I say she's right smack in the middle. Honestly, I feel like her personality shines best during supports with her parents, so there is a little challenge here. However, I like Rhajat, so I'm fairly confident in my abilities to write her well. So, without further ado, enjoy the chapter, you little rascals!**

 **Also! I really hate drawing this card, but the last chapter barely got any reviews, so...pretty please?**

 **...**

"DWYER!"

'Shit!' the butler panicked. 'Shit! Shit! Shit!'

Dwyer frantically looked around for a place to hide from the wrath of his father, as he knew no amount of explaining would be able to save him from this one. Hell, his father would probably lock him in a mental hospital if he told the truth! Dwyer groaned and spotted the cherry blossom tree he and Mitama used for their nap time. Without hesitation, he sprinted towards it, and with surprising agility he took a leap of faith over Mitama, who was currently resting under the tree. Ignoring her shocked yelp, Dwyer scrambled up the trunk and into the branches, trying to make himself appear as small as possible.

Mitama glanced up at him with annoyance. "What are you doing?" she hissed.

"Shhhh!" Dwyer shushed, eyes wide with panic. "Don't tell him I'm here!"

The poet raised an eyebrow. "Who are you talking about?" she asked.

"DWYER!"

The butler gulped and pressed himself further into the tree, watching as Jakob stormed towards Mitama, glaring down at her. "You there, girl," he said, jabbing a finger into her chest. "Have you seen Dwyer come by this way?"

Dwyer held his breath as Mitama remained silent. Finally, the poet tilted her head and answered, "Um...no?"

Jakob huffed and shook his head, before he turned around and walked away. Dwyer didn't dare leave the safety of the tree, even when Mitama told him that it was safe to come down. Dywer took slow, deep breaths, and when he glanced down he saw the poet tapping her foot impatiently. "Mind telling me what that was all about?" she asked.

Dwyer sighed and shrugged. "It's a ridiculous story, to tell the truth," he admitted. "You probably wouldn't believe me."

"You're right, I wouldn't." Mitama agreed, crossing her arms. "But you should tell me, anyway."

Dwyer bit his lip. "Well..."

 _About ten minutes ago..._

 _"I don't get paid enough for this," the butler mumbled as he snatched up a mop and made his way to the kitchen door. "Today was supposed to be my day off, too... Why does this always happen to me?" It was only just after breakfast and, may the gods help the army, Arthur insisted on cooking. Needless to say, the hapless hero's bad luck caught up to him, and now there was apparently an entire puddle of puke on the kitchen floor. None of the other servants dared touch it, so they dumped the load on poor Dwyer._

 _The lazy butler sighed and shook his head, before he threw open the kitchen door, only to be shocked frozen. "What the heck?" he breathed, eyes wide._

 _Standing there, already cleaning up the mess, was...him! A nearly identical copy of himself, save for the disturbingly stiff movements and the blank, soulless eyes. The false Dwyer jerked its head up to stare at its counterpart, mop still in its hands. The two held each other's gaze for several moments, before the false Dwyer suddenly broke the mop over its knee._

 _"H-Hey!" Dwyer stuttered. "S-Stop that!"_

 _The false Dwyer paid no mind, and instead began destroying everything in the kitchen. It threw dishes against the wall, it stomped on the stored food, it_ punched _a hole through the_ stone _wall, and it splashed water everywhere._

 _"What is going on here?!" Jakob's furious voice sounded from around the corner. Dwyer turned around and saw his father entering the kitchen, a look of pure horror slowly forming on his face. "W-What...?" he gasped, before he angrily turned to his son. "WHAT DID YOU DO?!" he roared, face turning red._

 _"I...It wasn't me!" Dwyer protested. "It was that thing over th-" He turned and pointed, but saw that the false Dwyer had disappeared, the previously closed window now thrown open. Dwyer gulped and slowly turned back to his father, shaking. "Uh...um..."_

 _"Well?" Jakob snarled. "What do you have to say for yourself, young man?"_

 _Dwyer racked through his brain for a solution, and only one came to mind. He glanced past his father and said, "Lord Corrin! I can explain!" The moment Jakob turned his head, Dwyer made a desperate sprint towards the window, crawling out of it and running for his life._

 _...Present time..._

"...and that's basically what happened..." Dwyer finished, awkwardly coughing. Mitama stared at him as if he had grown an extra head.

"Well...that's...interesting?" she finally said. Dwyer nodded, glancing away.

"Yeah..."

A new voice said, "Sorry about that. I didn't mean for the puppet to go out of control..."

The two lazy healers jumped and turned around, seeing a third person timidly hiding beside the tree. The girl had dark hair that was currently covering her eyes, and she wore an outfit similar to Hoshidan diviners, but it still wasn't too familiar to Dwyer. For one, rather than sporting the typical Hoshidan colors of red and white, the outfit was dyed black. Dwyer also noted that the girl wore a headband of some sort, which had a golden medallion attached at each end. The girl shrunk closer into the tree, not meeting his eyes.

But what she said soon clicked in the butler's mind, and he jumped to his feet. "You were the one that made that thing?" he questioned.

The girl hesitantly nodded. "Yeah..." she murmured. "It was me..."

"But how?" Dwyer hissed. "And why? Do you know how much trouble I'm in right now?!"

The girl flinched. "I said I was sorry..." she weakly reminded the butler. "I thought my magic was good enough to keep it under control, I didn't think that somehow you two would run into each other and it would go berserk..."

"Yet, that's exactly what happened!" Dwyer groaned, running a hand through his blonde hair. "My father is going to kill me..."

"Sorry..."

"You already said that, Rhajat," Mitama pointed out.

The girl blinked and turned to Mitama for the first time since she appeared. "Oh, Mitama...didn't see you there," she greeted. "I wasn't...interrupting anything, was I?"

Mitama blushed and shook her head. "O-Of course not!" she insisted, waving her arms.

Dwyer raised an eyebrow at Mitama's behavior, before turning back to the mysterious girl. "Okay...but why'd you make that thing?" he asked her. "More importantly, why did you make it look like _me?"_

The girl shrugged and rubbed her arm awkwardly. "I thought that it would be able to work better if it was based off of you," she explained. "I had to take a hair from you when you were asleep to make it..."

Dwyer did a double take. "Um... Pardon?"

The girl flinched once more. "Well, I would've asked you for help instead, but I thought-" She paused, then shook her head. "Never mind."

"No, what were you going to say?" Dwyer pressed, frowning.

"I..." The girl glanced to the side and then sighed. "Nothing, forget it," she grumbled. "Listen, I'll go put that puppet down and explain the situation to your father, I owe you that much... I'll see you around...or something." Without another word, the girl turned around and walked away, muttering things underneath her breath.

"H-Hey!" Dwyer called. "Wait!"

The girl ignored him, much to his frustration. He sighed and leaned against the cherry blossom tree. "Who was that girl?" he asked, turning to Mitama. "I could've sworn I met everyone here before..."

"That was Rhajat," Mitama explained, placing her hands on her hips. "Hayato's daughter. She only arrived here a few days before you, and she likes to keep to herself most of the time." She clicked her tongue. "Strange...she usually doesn't go out of her way like that to apologize...or anything. Hmmm..." She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "A lonely maiden/ Done with living in shadows/ She seeks a lover."

Dwyer blushed and narrowed his eyes. "Shut up..." he mumbled, before something caught his eye. He glanced up to see Caeldori approaching them, her face as scarlet as her hair. She almost appeared to be shaking, and Dwyer knew something must have been wrong. "Caeldori," he said once the girl approached him. "What's going-"

 _SLAP!_

Dwyer felt a hand crack at his face, and he collapsed onto the ground, the dirt shoved into his face. He groaned painfully and looked up to see her now clutching her short skirt, refusing to meet his eyes. "I-I understand that you're a teenage boy, Dwyer..." she started. "And I know that t-teenage boys have certain...urges around women, but..." Her blush simply grew. "But that does not mean you can j-just grope me whenever you feel like it!" She then turned tail and sprinted away, leaving Dwyer to slowly process what had just happened.

Mitama clicked her tongue again. "A puppet rages/ His wrath plagues the young women/ Yet Dwyer is blamed." she recited.

"Shut up..." the butler hissed, rubbing his stinging cheek.

...

Apparently that Rhajat girl had explained the situation like she said she would, because when Jakob finally caught his son, he only gave him a slight lecture. A day later, Dwyer was inside his room, laying down on his bed and staring at the ceiling. As apology, his father had given him another day off, but unfortunately this left Dwyer in a bored state. Most of his friends were already busy, and without chores to distract him, he really had nothing to do.

Rhajat... The mysterious diviner had been in Dwyer's thoughts constantly since they first met. She was something else, much different than anyone else in the army. Well, perhaps she shared some similarities with Miss Nyx, but at least that woman knew better than to make random puppets that couldn't be controlled. Which made Dwyer ask himself...what was with the puppet? Rhajat was about to tell him why she had made it, but for some reason she decided against it. Was she afraid that Dwyer would get offended or something? The girl was a mystery... A beautiful one, at that, Dwyer forced himself to admit.

A knock sounded at his door, dragging Dwyer out of his thoughts. Sighing, the butler hoisted himself off his bed and walked towards the door. "Who is it?" he asked, running his hand down his face.

"It's me..." a familiar voice answered. Dwyer tilted his head and opened the door.

"Rhajat?" The girl was standing in front of him, once again keeping her eyes away from his. She was holding a basket in her arms, which were filled with various fruits native to Hoshido. The moment the butler answered the door, Rhajat thrust the gift basket into his arms.

"Here," she said, "it's my apology for yesterday..."

Dwyer stared at the girl for a few seconds, before he opened the door further and stepped aside, inviting her inside. The diviner reluctantly did so, and Dwyer closed the door as she sat down on his bed. "There's no need to apologize," Dwyer assured, setting down the gift basket. He plucked a fruit from it and took a bite. "I just want to know _why_ you did it." Rhajat didn't speak, so Dwyer moved closer towards her. "Rhajat, I won't be mad if you tell me."

For the first time, Rhajat met his eyes. "...I needed some help gathering things for something I'm working on," she explained. "I'm not very social, so I didn't ask anyone to help. I thought about asking you, but I decided not to bother you...So I made a puppet of you instead."

Dwyer hummed and nodded. "Alright, I guess I can understand that," he said. "But what was it you were working on?"

"A medicine."

"Medicine?" Dwyer echoed.

Rhajat nodded. "The day after I arrived, a local village asked me to use a good luck spell on them to help with the crops," she told the butler. "I did it, but soon afterwards, a violent illness spread throughout the village, and they pinned the blame on my magic." She clenched her fist. "But I know I'm innocent! I noticed the illness before placing the spell, so in order to prove it, I've been working on a remedy to fight the illness."

"But...that must've been months ago," Dwyer pointed out. "How do you even know they're still alive?"

"I was sent a message by one of the villagers I had befriended," Rhajat said, "the day before we arrived at that mountain. I thought they were dead before then, so I halted my progress, but now..." She narrowed her eyes. "I have to do this. Not just for them, but for-" She stopped once again, her eyes wide. She blinked, then slowly shook her head. "Never mind," she murmured, her voice cracking just the tiniest bit. "I've said much more than I intended."

Dwyer looked down at the girl, and a feeling of pity bubbled in his stomach. He slowly knelt down until he was eye level with the diviner. "Rhajat," he said in the gentlest voice he could muster. "You can finish the story."

Rhajat blushed faintly. "Strange..." she whispered to herself, though still loud enough for Dwyer to hear. "I have a desire to him...there's something in his eyes, something that makes you want to trust him..." She took a deep breath and nodded. "Have you...heard of a woman in the army named Orochi?" she asked.

Dwyer thought about it, then nodded. "I have, actually," he answered. "Though, I heard she died shortly before I arrived. Why are you asking me th-" His eyes widened as he realized what Rhajat was telling him. "Oh..."

Rhajat bit her lip and nodded. "She was my mother," she clarified, voicing Dwyer's thoughts. "Before she died, she was trying to help the village. Though, she caught the illness, and...she didn't survive." Dwyer then noticed the tears forming in Rhajat's eyes. "So, I...I want to cure this village, t-to honor my mother..." A few tears ran down her cheeks, and she wiped them away. "I...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to act like this in front of you..."

"I'll help you."

Rhajat's head whipped up in surprise. "What..?" she breathed.

After a sob story like that, how could Dwyer possibly bring himself to turn this poor girl down? He was a gentleman, after all. "I said I'll help you," he repeated. "I'll gather the ingredients, while you make the remedy. Does that sound okay?"

"What...I...what?" stammered Rhajat, her mouth moving like a fish. "No...I can't ask that of you, I've put you through enough trouble..."

"Rhajat." Dwyer said, silencing the diviner. "I want to help you, alright? Just give me a list of what we need, and I'll find them as fast as I can."

"Why..." Rhajat asked. "You barely know me...why are you helping?"

Dwyer smiled. "Why wouldn't I?" he challenged.

"Well, I..." Rhajat trailed off, and sighed. Slowly, she pulled paper and a brush out of her pocket, and began writing something down. Then, she grabbed Dwyer's hand and placed the paper in it. "There's the things I'll need and how to find them," she told him, glancing away again. "Some of the ingredients may prove to be more difficult to obtain than others..."

"I'll be fine," Dwyer assured, patting the girl's shoulder.

Rhajat nodded. "Okay..." She stood up. "Well, I won't take up any more of your time," she said, ducking out of the butler's way and reaching the door. "See you later...Dwyer." Then, she left, leaving Dwyer alone with his new task.

'Alright, how hard can this be?' he thought, glancing at the first item on the list.

 _Mandrake Root- Strong as steel and typically found at least eight feet underwater._

Dwyer frowned. "Y'know..." he muttered. "Maybe she was on to something with that puppet thing..."

...

Rhajat waited in her tent anxiously, wondering if and when Dwyer was going to complete his task. She bit her thumbnail and glanced down, her hair falling over her eyes. 'Maybe I should've gotten the mandrake root myself...' she thought.

She was still surprised that the butler had so easily offered his help. One look at him, and most would assume him an uncaring individual. "I mean, I guess there are those rumors about him..." she muttered to herself. According to the other girls in the army, Dwyer was actually a surprisingly considerate person who would gladly offer his help. Although she assumed they were exaggerating, these stories Rhajat heard were what led her to making the Dwyer puppet in the first place. A horrible decision, she had realized.

She missed her mother...the death of Mikoto's retainer hit the entire army hard, but not as hard as it hit Rhajat and Hayato. Ever since Orochi's death, the young Wind Tribe native distanced himself from others, including Rhajat herself. It was heartbreaking to watch, which was the only thing she could do. She knew that she was not the one to comfort her father, he needed to recover himself.

...the length of time it was taking worried her, though.

She suddenly heard someone outside her tent, followed by, "Rhajat...I got the ingredients."

Rhajat sighed in relief and opened her tent flap, allowing Dwyer to crawl inside. The diviner's eyes widened when she saw the state the butler was in. His clothes were torn to shreds, he was bleeding and bruised all over, and there was a small puppy attached to his leg, gnawing on it. Dwyer groaned and collapsed, breathing heavily. "That was...an interesting adventure," he gasped.

"Dwyer!" Rhajat cried, glancing around. "I-I'll make you a potion right away!"

"Don't worry about it," Dwyer mumbled. "I'll just get myself healed by a staff later."

"Are you sure?"

Dwyer didn't reply, but he did hold out a thumbs up. Just then, the puppy finally released Dwyer's leg, and with a small bark it scampered away. Rhajat stared after it for a moment, before she turned back to the sleepy butler, who was holding out a bag full of the ingredients. "Here you go," he said. "It took a lot more effort than I'm used to, but I got everything you need."

"Dwyer, I...thank you..." Rhajat said, taking the bag. She smiled, and it wasn't a creepy smile. This smile was genuine. Dwyer muttered something that sounded like, "no problem" and slipped into unconsciousness.

That night, Rhajat went to work. She slowly ran over the instructions in her head, and carefully fulfilled them to the best of her ability. She had to get this right, for those people in the village, and for her mother. Even for her father. Perhaps if this worked, Hayato would finally be back to his old self...

'To whatever god may listen,' she prayed, 'please grant me this miracle.'

"You're...working on that potion again...?"

Rhajat jumped and turned around, seeing her father staring at her with tired eyes. Rhajat sighed and frowned. "Father, it's late," she said. "Go back to bed."

"You're still up, though..." the Wind Tribe native pointed out.

Rhajat placed her hands on her knees and gripped them. "Okay, yes, I am working on the potion again," she admitted.

Hayato tilted his head. "I thought you gave that up..."

"..." Rhajat didn't say anything, she only gripped her knees tighter.

Hayato sighed and shook his head. "Doing this won't bring her back, Rhajat..."

The older diviner whipped her head around, glaring at her father. "And neither will moping around, refusing to move on with your life!" she hissed. "I'm doing this for _us,_ Father! I'm sick of you acting this way, I feel like _I'm_ the parent, dammit!"

Hayato's eyes widened, then narrowed. "Do not speak that way to your father, Rhajat." he warned. "I won't tolerate this behavior."

"And I won't tolerate _your_ behavior!" Rhajat shot back, standing up. "You're not the only one who suffered when Mother died, but you are the only one who refuses to let go of the past and better yourself! You're only hurting yourself, Father! I'm trying to put an end to that!"

"I don't _need_ your help, daughter!" Hayato snarled, stepping closer to Rhajat. "Your mother was the only woman I ever loved, the first person to inspire me to do better! You want me to let _go_ of all that?!"

"NO!" Rhajat barked. "I don't want you to do that! I want you to actually accept that it happened and move on! I suffered too, and I've always been there for you!" She couldn't help it, she was beginning to cry. "But I want you to be there for _me!_ I want my father back!" She shoved the other diviner aside, and ran from the tent she had set up. Hayato barely registered what happened, but when he did he jumped back to his feet.

"Rhajat, wait!" he cried out.

It was too late, however, Rhajat was too far away. She kept running until she collapsed beside the cherry blossom tree, sobbing as she pounded the ground over and over.

"Rhajat?"

Rhajat glanced up, and realized that Dwyer was resting against the tree. He was looking at her in concern, but when he reached out towards her she slapped his hand away. "Don't." she hissed, before she crawled towards him and rested her head against his shoulder. "Don't ask questions, just...stay there. I'll work on the remedy tomorrow...and then I'll deliver it to the village."

"Should I come along too?" the butler asked.

Rhajat shook her head. "No...I want to make the trip alone." She frowned. "I hope you understand."

"Of course."

Rhajat hummed. "Good." She narrowed her eyes. "Dwyer..."

Dwyer glanced down at the diviner. "Yes, Rhajat?" he asked.

"If you tell anyone about this, I'll curse you in your sleep." Rhajat threatened.

Dwyer didn't respond, but Rhajat knew that he had understood. Sighing, she closed her eyes and evened out her breathing, simply resting against the boy's shoulder.

Said boy, meanwhile, glanced up at the night sky. He bit his lip, and then glanced back at the girl resting on him. He noticed that the girl was snoring softly, and the butler eased his way off of her. He then gently picked her up and began carrying her back to where she had come from. When he arrived at her tent, he saw Hayato sitting in front of it. The diviner glanced up, his eyes fixed on Rhajat.

"Is...she okay?" he asked.

Dwyer nodded. "She just fell asleep," he explained. "I was bringing her back to her tent."

Hayato hummed, and he slowly took his daughter from Dwyer's arms. It was a bit of a struggle, given his size, but he pulled it off. After tucking his daughter in, he exited the tent, and stood next to the butler.

"I remember when she was just born," Hayato recalled, crossing his arms. "She was so cute, and I couldn't believe I was a father..." He smiled sadly. "It was strange, watching her grow up so fast, and now she's older than me... To think that what seemed like years was only just a few short months." He shook his head. "Three months...that's how long Orochi and I were married...I never thought it would end so fast... Rhajat is all I have left, and I fear that I'm losing her, too." He began walking away, before he turned back to Dwyer. "Dwyer, it may seem strange receiving this from a younger guy, but you should really spend some more time with your family. You never know when it might be gone...war isn't the only danger there is."

Dwyer nodded. "I'm sorry for your loss, Hayato," he said.

Hayato scoffed. "You're not the only one..." Then, he was gone.

Dwyer stared after Hayato for a few moments, before he walked away as well. However, he didn't go to his own room, he went to another. He stood in front of the door, and hesitantly knocked. After a few moments, he heard some shuffling, and then the door opened.

"Dwyer?" Jakob yawned. "It's late, what the blazes do you want?"

"Nothing, Father, I just..." Dwyer paused, then sighed. "I just wanted to say...that I...I love you, and I'm glad you're here..."

Jakob yawned once more. "Yes, yes, that's good..." he mumbled. "Go to bed, Dwyer... You need your rest." The door closed, leaving Dwyer alone in the night. The butler sighed and shook his head. He began walking away, when the door opened once again.

"Dwyer," Jakob called, causing his son to turn around. "I...I love you...too..."

Dwyer smirked. "Did Mother make you say that?" he asked, before he nodded. "Goodnight, Father."

"Goodnight, son," Jakob said, closing the door once more.

Dwyer waited a few moments, then carried on towards his own sleeping quarters. So much has happened, he realized. He wasn't the same guy he was before, that was for sure... He had made more friends than he could've imagined, and he took part in more adventures than he would've liked. And yet, somehow...He knew this was just the beginning.

"This is going to be a pain in the ass..."

...

 **And that's the end of the PROLOGUE! :D Anyway, instead of going the typical creepy Rhajat route, I decided to dig a little deeper. Similarly to Nina, I see Rhajat as a girl with possible LOADS of insecurities, as well as a _slightly_ strained relationship with her father. It was these two things that I decided to focus on, and after viewing her supports with her mother, I realized I could really get this kicking. The original version of this chapter was a non-stop comedy about Dwyer desperately trying to kill False Dwyer, but I decided against it, as it would do NOTHING to expand Rhajat's character. So yeah...In conclusion, this version of Rhajat is what I wanna call...a more realistic version. Naturally, a death of a family member would put strain on the other members, and it led to a pretty great chapter...in my opinion, of course. Yep.**

 **Anyway, next time we'll actually be getting into the REAL story! Don't forget to review...please... And remember, stay wykkyd! :D**


	14. In Which The Prologue is FINALLY Over!

**Well...sorry about the wait, everyone. Some really bad stuff happened, and it kind of just piled on top of me, y'know? Let's see...family drama, friend drama, some concerning health issues,, literally no sleep, love life drama "hell week" of play rehearsal, and a possible alien invasion (that last one is a joke). But now that all that crap is out of the way (hopefully, for the time being), I'm ready to hop back on this bandwagon! So please allow me to welcome you to...THE ACTUAL STORY! (which won't be that different from what you've seen before. Like always, the chapters will have an episodic feel to them, and characters will continue to grow and provide cheap laughs that will probably get me shot.) Happy reading! Enjoy the chapter!**

 **...**

"Are you sure you don't want someone to go with you?" Dwyer asked, raising an eyebrow. "I think you might need some help..."

Rhajat glanced up at the gigantic backpack she was carrying on her back, before shrugging. "I'll be fine," she reassured the butler. "A companion will just slow me down."

Dwyer frowned but didn't argue. He simply sighed and nodded reluctantly. "Well, if that's your choice..." he muttered. "Still, that village will be quite the journey. I'm no expert, but I've heard that those kind of trips are awfully boring." He shuddered. "Not to mention the amount of energy it would require..."

The diviner rolled her eyes. "That's why you're not going..." she told him. "Gods know you won't make it a single mile..."

Dwyer shrugged lazily. "Gods know they're right," he agreed. He sighed. "Well, good luck, I guess..."

"Yeah..." Rhajat murmured.

It was the morning after Rhajat had fallen asleep on Dwyer's shoulder and was carried back to her tent, the morning after a surprisingly depressing conversation with Hayato. Honestly, it still baffled Dwyer that Hayato, a boy that was only two or so years younger than him, was already a father.

Rhajat had finished making her herbs, and was now preparing to head off towards the ill village. She insisted on going alone, commenting that she needed some time to think, and that she was used to being by herself anyway. Dwyer was not sure how long the mysterious diviner would be gone, but he secretly hoped she would be back soon. After the ambush on the mountain a couple of days ago, Dwyer was much more wary about the world outside the astral castle. He had tried voicing his concerns, but Rhajat had shrugged it off, expressing confidence that her magic would be enough to keep her safe. Dwyer, still unnerved over the puppet experience, couldn't bring himself to disagree.

"So...you're leaving, huh?"

Rhajat and Dwyer spun around, catching sight of Hayato approaching them with tired eyes not suited for his youth. Immediately Rhajat stiffened, while Dwyer merely frowned. Hayato stopped in front of his daughter, sighing. "You're...going alone?" he asked.

"Yes." Rhajat curtly answered.

Hayato nodded slowly. "I guess...there's no stopping you then." he assumed. Rhajat merely nodded, and her father weakly forced himself to smile. "Well...good luck, then."

"Right, thanks."

Hayato opened his mouth yet hesitated to speak. Dwyer could easily tell that the young diviner was struggling to express himself, and he gave him the most comforting look he could at the moment. Hayato shared his gaze, before giving a small nod of gratitude. He turned back to his daughter and cracked another fragile smile. "You...you're mother...would be proud, I think..." He finished his words with a cough.

Rhajat's eyes widened slightly, and her cheeks flushed a little red. She lowered her eyes and nodded. "Thanks..." she mumbled, and something told Dwyer that the girl meant it. He couldn't help but smile just a tiny bit.

"No problem..." Hayato replied, before he took a deep breath. He reached out and touched his daughter's arm, which caused her to meet his eyes. "You stay safe, alright?" he told her. "I...I don't want to lose you too..."

"...you won't..." Rhajat promised. "Father, I-" she paused, and closed her mouth. A silent message Dwyer could not read seemed to pass between the two diviners, and it ended with Hayato leaving the two to themselves, taking the excuse to speak with Lord Corrin, who was beginning his morning patrol. When the boy left, Rhajat sighed. "It wasn't...the best," she noted. "Still, better than nothing, I suppose."

Dwyer nodded. "Well for what it's worth, I thought it went pretty well," he admitted.

Rhajat grunted, before turning towards her friend. "Well...I should start heading out now," she said, glancing to the side.

"I guess," Dwyer agreed. "Goodbye for now, then?"

Rhajat slowly nodded. "Mhmm..." she hummed, before she slowly wrapped her arms around Dwyer. "I'll be back when I can," she said.

Dwyer hugged the girl back. "Alright. Stay safe."

The two pulled away, and Rhajat cocked her head from side to side. "No one saw that, did they?" she asked.

The butler raised an eyebrow, slightly confused. Regardless, he turned to look over his shoulder, seeing no one. "Nope," he confirmed. "All clear."

Rhajat let out a huge sigh of relief. " Good..." she hissed. "If anyone actually saw me hugging another human being..." She shuddered. "Gods..."

...Dwyer wasn't sure if he should've been offended by that or not. To be honest, he was hardly sure of anything these days, thanks to his strange collection of friends. He grunted, and Rhajat bade him a final farewell before she began walking away. When she disappeared from sight, Dwyer turned around and began walking away, only to bump into another person. He watched as Midori landed on her rear with a small 'oof', and she cutely stared up at him.

"What was Rhajat doing just now?" she asked.

Dwyer sighed and extended his hand, helping the small girl to her feet. "She's traveling to a far off village," he explained. "They've been experiencing some illness, so she made some remedies to deliver to them." The moment he mentioned remedies, Dwyer mentally smacked himself, and he desperately hoped Midori didn't catch what he said. However, if the look of shock on Midori's face was any evidence, she clearly did.

"Remedies?" she echoed, before pouting her cheeks. "And she didn't even come to _me_ for help?! How could she?!" She sighed and shook her head. "Some doctor I am... Not even qualified for making remedies, even as an assistant."

"Please don't take offense to it..." Dwyer begged, frowning. "It's...a very personal matter for her, she would rather do this all on her own."

"...well if that's the case, I can't argue with it." Midori sighed in defeat after a few moments of silence. Suddenly her head poked up. "Hold on a moment, since when were you friends with Rhajat?" she asked, curiously tilting her head to one side.

"Since she nearly got me killed by my father," the butler deadpanned. Midori raised an eyebrow, but decided not to comment. Instead she began rocking on her heels, biting her lip. Dwyer could tell something was on the girl's mind, and he reluctantly decided to take the bait. "Alright, what's on your mind?" he groaned.

"Well the fact is..." Midori began, beaming. "I was actually planning on gathering some herbs in the forest later today, since my supply mysteriously dropped last night... I was wondering if you'd like to come with me?"

Dwyer's first instinct was to immediately say no, but somehow he couldn't find it in himself to deny Midori. The tiny Hoshidan had a certain effect on everyone, and he could've sworn that the girl knew it. Almost entirely against his will, he found himself nodding, and he was already preparing himself for a hellish day. Midori was normally a calm, sensible girl. But the moment medicine became involved...

Midori clapped and cheered, and began dragging Dwyer towards the mess hall. "Well, let's hurry up and get something to eat!" she urged. "The faster we're done, the more time we have to start collecting!"

Dwyer sighed and simply allowed the small apothecary to lead him away. Along the way, however, they passed by Caeldori, who stared at Dwyer awkwardly. Her cheeks went bright red, and she quickly hurried away. Dwyer scowled and shook his head. Of course, when he had the time, he would have to get Caeldori on his good side again. Ever since the puppet Dwyer had apparently... _groped_ Caeldori, she began avoiding Dwyer like the plague. The butler could never actually find a chance to explain that the pervert wasn't him.

Midori noticed the awkward exchange and frowned. "What was that about?" she asked.

Dwyer sighed and just shrugged. "It's nothing," he assured. "I'll work it out later."

"If you say so..." Midori muttered, before quickly returning to her preppy self. She continued to lead the butler towards the mess hall, eventually pushing him inside and skipping over to the counter, which Jakob was manning. "Waffles, please," she ordered. Jakob wordlessly nodded, before turning to face his son.

"And you?" he asked.

Dwyer glanced up at the menu displayed on the wall behind his father. "Um...I guess I'll take waffles as well."

Jakob nodded and made his way towards the kitchen, before he paused and slowly turned back to his son. "So...how are you?" he wondered, speaking slowly.

Dwyer blinked and then coughed into his fist. "Uh...I'm good. Thanks." he said.

"Good, good..." Jakob glanced towards the kitchen. "Well, have a nice day, son."

"You too, Father."

'Well that was awkward,' Dwyer thought as he watched Jakob disappear into the kitchen. 'I guess Rhajat isn't the only one who has trouble speaking to her father.' The butler remembered the events of last night, specifically the exchange between himself and Jakob. The two had admitted their love for each other in the middle of night, with possibly some influence from Charlotte. Apparently, Jakob wasn't exactly comfortable with that, hence the awkward conversation that just happened. Dwyer groaned, wondering if by trying to patch things up with his father, he just ended up making things worse.

Midori opened her mouth as if to comment, but closed it almost immediately after. Wordlessly, the two sat down at the nearest table, which was occupied by Percy, who was feasting on some bacon. The hero in training glanced up at the two, muttering a greeting through his stuffed mouth. Midori kindly waved, but Dwyer notice that she grimaced at the sight of Percy's poor table manners. Honestly, Dwyer shared the girl's pain. Nothing was worse than poor manners, and he briefly thanked the stars that Percy wasn't a surprise noble like so many of his other friends were. Sometimes, it was hard to tell whether or not the young hero was raised by dragons.

The waffles came and Jakob went, and Dwyer ate his breakfast silently while Midori tried to make conversation with Percy. He wasn't thinking about anything in particular, he just didn't feel the need to join in on the chatter next to him. 'A little bland, even with butter and syrup,' Dwyer noted as he swallowed a bit of the waffles. 'Guess that's another thing I'm better at than Father.'

Strange, though... Jakob's work was never usually this lifeless. Sure, the older butler followed things by the book rather than relying on instinct, but those tasks were by the book for a reason. Once again, Dwyer felt discomfort stirring inside him, and he couldn't help but feel his words from the previous night were still at fault. 'Maybe I should've kept things the way they were,' he thought.

"...Dwyer?"

Dwyer blinked and looked up from his meal, meeting the concerned eyes of Midori. She frowned and felt his forehead. "Are you okay?" she asked. "You don't look too good..."

Dwyer lightly brushed the girl's hand away. "I'm fine," he assured. "Just distracted by my thoughts, that's all."

"Are you well enough to go herb gathering with me?"

'Not a chance,' Dwyer mentally answered. He smiled. "Of course."

"Great!" Midori cheered, standing up. "I'm done with my food, are you going to eat yours?"

Dwyer glanced down and noticed he hadn't even gotten halfway through his breakfast. He sighed and pushed the plate away. "No, I'm not hungry," he answered, standing up as well. "Shall we get going?"

Midori nodded and nodded goodbye to Percy, who couldn't care less as he made a swipe for Dwyer's plate. The apothecary shook her head and grabbed Dwyer's hand, leading him outside. The two stopped to speak with Kaze, telling him where they would be going. The typically easygoing ninja seemed hesitant, briefly flicking his eyes in Dwyer's direction. Finally he shrugged and told the two to be careful. Midori kissed her father on the cheek and continued to lead Dwyer towards the forest. The two finally stopped at the edge of it when Midori bent down, gently stroking the leaves of a plant.

"Hmm..." she hummed. "I wouldn't expect to find this little guy so soon..." She jerked a thumb towards the large wooden trunk on her back. "Dwyer, do you mind opening that for me?"

Dwyer wordlessly did as he was told, now determined to concentrate on whatever task he would be given in order to distract him from his thoughts. Midori sighed in relief as she let the heavy trunk slide off her shoulders, and she carefully plucked the young herb from the ground and placed it into one of the compartments in her trunk. As she crawled along the ground, looking for more herbs, Dwyer slowly began to realize that he wasn't even needed that much.

"Midori," he called to the girl. "Why exactly am I here? You seem to be handling things quite well on your own."

Midori glanced up from her work, offering the butler a small smile. "Can't I just enjoy a friend's company?" she questioned, before plucking out yet another herb.

"Well, I guess..." Dwyer mumured. "But why me? Certainly there must be other people, like..." His brain searched for an answer. "...Percy?"

Midori shook her head. "Percy is nice, but much too messy to keep around," she said. "I wanted you here because I thought it would do you good. I don't know if you've noticed, but you've been more stressed as of late. I thought a change in scenery would help you." She stopped her work and stood up, brushing her knees. "Don't think I haven't noticed that strange exchange between you and your father, Dwyer. Wanna talk about it?"

Dwyer rolled his eyes. "Since when are you a therapist?" he scoffed.

"Since I got my certificate that says so!" Midori explained, puffing out her cheeks.

...Dwyer couldn't think of anything to say. So instead of retorting, he sat down against a tree and looked up at the sky. "Something happened between my father and I last night," he explained.

"I figured as much," the tiny doctor sighed. "What happened?"

"I told him I loved him..."

Midori blinked. "That...that's it?"

Dwyer winced, immediately regretting opening his mouth. "Y-Yeah..." he mumbled. "It's just something the two of us...never really said to each other since...ever. I don't think either of us really know what to make of it, hence the awkward atmosphere."

"Ah, I guess that makes sense," Midori stated as she made a mental note of it. "Well...I'm not sure how to help. My advice would be to just talk it out with him, even if it's hard. If you two both explain how you feel, then that should be enough."

"That sounds way too optimistic..."

"Someone has to balance out your negativity," Midori playfully shot back, sticking her tongue out. Suddenly her face turned serious once more. "But seriously, nothing will get better unless you talk things out with your father. You two are supposed to be closer than anyone else, you're father and son!"

"Hey...!" a new voice called out. "What the hell are you two being so loud for, ya bastards?!"

The two teens turned around to see a bandit crawl out from the bushes, holding a dagger in his hand. Dwyer instinctively stood in front of Midori, glaring at the bandit. The bandit, however, paid no mind to the butler, instead his slightly crazed eyes were fixated on Midori. "Hey...you seem familiar..." he hissed, eyes narrowing. They suddenly widened. "Wait a second...! You're the little brat that stood me up a couple months ago!"

Finally the two teens recognized him, he was the bandit that was chasing Midori when she first joined the army. Midori slowly backed away, and the bandit took a step forward. Dwyer felt his pocket for his shuriken, but growled in frustration when he realized that he left it behind. "Listen, sir..." he tried reasoning. "We don't want any trouble."

"Yeah?" the bandit snarled. "Well tough friggin' luck, punk! I swear to the gods, I'm gonna cut your fu..." The man's eyes suddenly rolled back, and he collapsed onto the ground, unconscious. Midori gasped and immediately rushed to the bandit's side.

"Midori, what are you doing?" Dwyer asked, cautiously glancing at the knocked out man.

Midori gritted her teeth and dug into her trunk. "He's injured!" she hissed. "He's bleeding heavily from the side, I think he must've been in a fight." She glanced up at Dwyer as she pulled some gauze out of her trunk. "I'll try my best to stop the bleeding, do you think you can carry him back to the castle?"

The butler raised an eyebrow. "But...isn't he an enemy?" he asked. "I'm not sure bringing an enemy into the astral plane is such a good-"

"He's an injured patient, Dwyer!" Midori argued, nudging the man towards him. "Just take him and get him to the castle, he might just live if we hurry!"

It was at this moment that Dwyer first learned of Midori's kindness, something that we wouldn't forget for years to come. The fact that the girl was willing to tend to someone they could consider an enemy easily spoke volumes about her character.

Dwyer gently scooped the man onto his back, and after making sure he was secure he began the walk back to the astral plane with Midori in tow. They reached the portal faster than they thought, and they bolted through without hesitation. The two reappeared outside of the castle, and Dwyer heard the bandit murmur things underneath his breath. Dwyer glanced back at the man on his back, frowning at the sight of how pale he was becoming. He looked up to see Lady Elise and Ophelia rushing towards him, gasping at the sight of the man.

Lady Elise adopted a surprisingly stern look, and turned towards her daughter. "Ophelia, go get the other healers," she ordered. "This guy is going to need a lot of help to pull through." Ophelia nodded and sprinted off, while Lady Elise guided Dwyer and Midori towards the healing tent. She let Dwyer set the man down on a cot, just as Azama, Felicia, and Lady Sakura burst in, immediately shoving the two teenagers out of the way.

Azama turned to the two, smiling. "You two leave this to us," he said.

"But we can help!" Midori protested.

Azama frowned. "Little girl, don't worry," he said. "This man will probably live, you have nothing to be concerned about. You two just go do...kid things."

Midori looked ready to protest, but stopped when Dwyer placed a hand on her shoulder. Reluctantly, she allowed the butler to lead her outside the tent. "This isn't fair..." she whined once they were outside. "How am I supposed to be a good doctor if they won't even let me help?"

Dwyer patted the girl's head. "You'll get another chance," he assured her.

Midori shrank back, a look of determination on her face. "Well, that chance is now!" she declared, before suddenly storming back into the tent.

"Midori, wait!"

A minute passed, and Midori still hadn't exited, so Dwyer could only assume that they allowed her to stay. Sighing, the butler turned around, only to nearly collide with Nina. The two stared at each other for a moment, before a sly grin spread across the archer's features. "Sooo..." she said in sing song. "I've heard you've been having some issues with your father..."

Alarms instantly sounded in Dwyer's head. "Where did you hear-" He stopped, and sighed heavily. "You were spying on me, weren't you...?"

"Yup!"

"Well, everything's fine, so you don't have to-"

"Oh believe me, Dwyer...It's only fair to help you out, since you helped me in the past."

Dwyer suddenly felt very worried. He glanced at the castle exit. Maybe if he sprinted, he could get away...

"Which is why..." Nina reached between her breasts and pulled out a sheet of paper, waving it in Dwyer's face. "...I've made a cute little list for father son activities! Let's see... Hunting, fishing, cooking, theater, camping..."

'Someone please end me,' Dwyer thought miserably as Nina continued listing off various activities.

...

 **Fun fact: Every time I write Midori's and/or Kana's more lighthearted scenes, I play "Hurry Starfish" from the anime, _Clannad._ Seriously, watch it. It's great. ANYWAY, yep, immediately starting the story off with some good old fashioned Dwyer and Jakob interactions :D Because why not? So what did you think? Love it? Hate it? Leave a review while I go cry myself to sleep! And remember, stay wykkyd!**


	15. Soleil is Best Waifu

**Well here we go again, everyone! Sorry for another wait, but...things still aren't picking up for me yet :/ There's, well...a lot of drama happening. Friends are starting to hate each other, leaving me to try to pick up the pieces, I'm on the verge of flunking English this year and my grades are really hard to bring up, the SAT's are approaching fast, and I keep making things awkward for a gal I like, and it hurts when I always screw up in front of her. At least she isn't treating me any different... *sigh* So yeah, things aren't really going too well for me. But, that's enough of that! We still have another chapter to get through, so sit back, relax, and enjoy!**

 **(And hey! The musical that's been kicking my ass is finally over and done with! Woo!)**

 **...**

"Hmm...maybe collecting would be a good idea?" Nina muttered to herself, jotting something down in a small notebook she held in her hands. She glanced up at the butler sitting across from her. "Is there anything you two mutually enjoy?" she asked him. "Like...I don't know. Stamps?"

Dwyer groaned and buried his face in his hands. "You don't have to do this..." he grumbled, shaking his head. "I told you, it's fine."

Nina frowned and set the notebook down. She placed a hand on her hip and flicked her friend's forehead. "You cheer yourself up right now, mister!" she demanded, narrowing her eyes. "I don't like this mopey Dwyer, I like the usual preppy and cheerful Dwyer!"

"Preppy? Cheerful?" Dwyer echoed in disbelief. "I think you're mistaking me for a different Dwyer, Nina...I'm _never_ preppy and cheerful!"

Nina winked and stuck her tongue out. "Your singing in the bathhouse suggests otherwise," she teased in sing-song.

The butler's eyes widened and he began sputtering. "W-What are you talking-"

"Anyway!" the archer exclaimed, snatching up the notepad. "We're not here to talk about that, we're here to help you improve your relationship with your father!"

"I don't need any improvements," Dwyer sighed, "I told you that everything is fine. My father and I just need some space, that's all."

The two were sitting across from each other at the steps of Lilith's temple, a few hours after the butler and Midori returned with the injured bandit. Nina had not stopped talking during the span of those hours, constantly coming up with one crazy 'bonding' idea after the next. Although she was aware of the pained expression on Dwyer's face, Nina opted to ignore it, honestly feeling like she was doing the right thing.

It was a pretty adorable scene, Soleil thought as she watched them from afar. The flirtatious mercenary giggled when she saw Dwyer slam her head against on of the temple's stone walls, though she silently hoped he wasn't too hurt. Soleil glanced away and turned her eyes towards the sun, noting that it was about the middle of the afternoon. 'Sunday,' she reminded herself, and her cheeks flushed a little.

Sunday was officially the day that Dwyer would help Soleil with her dance lessons, and the mercenary honestly enjoyed them, save for her lack of any sort of improvement. Still, if Dwyer was busy trying to sort out some family problems...maybe she should cancel for the day. At the thought of this, Soleil couldn't help but frown. It was selfish, but she didn't _want_ to cancel. Dwyer was quickly proving himself to be an amazing friend, and Soleil always looked forward to Sunday.

She glanced back down, and froze when she caught Dwyer's eyes. The mercenary grinned and waved, and the butler returned the silent greeting with his own small smile. Then, he turned to Nina, and she heard him say, "Listen, there's somewhere I gotta be, okay? Can this wait til later?"

Nina froze, and she suddenly seemed aware that they were being watched. She turned to look at Soleil, and the flirt noticed what appeared to be a look of jealousy crossing her face. Soleil was confused, and forced another grin on her face. 'Hey, have him if ya want,' she silently said.

However, Nina turned back to Dwyer and nodded, before collecting her thinks and walking away. She turned to look at the swords-woman once more, and Soleil felt an odd feeling in her stomach. She shook it away and strutted over towards Dwyer, placing her hands on her hips. "Hey," she greeted. "You ready for practice or what?"

Dwyer sighed and nodded rather reluctantly, though Soleil briefly saw the look of mirth that flashed across his eyes. "As ready as I'll ever be," he told her, shrugging his shoulders as he stood up. He stretched his back and nodded his head towards the direction of the training field. "Well, let's get going."

Soleil hummed and suddenly an idea came to her head. Grinning, she grabbed the butler's arm and looped her arm with his, before leading him over to their secret dancing spot. Dwyer's face flushed red, but he didn't protest. 'That's good,' the mercenary thought. 'Really shows how far he and I have come since first meeting.' She glanced down, remembering how often they would quarrel. 'Man, I really did push his buttons back then, didn't I?'

She must've slowed down, because when she glanced back up Dwyer was face to face with her, an eyebrow raised. "Something wrong?" he asked.

Soleil smiled and shook her head. "Nah," she replied. "Just some thinking, that's all. Nothing to worry about!"

"Well, if you say so..."

"Honestly, Dwyer," Soleil chirped, "you worry too much! Lighten up a little!"

"I worry only because of the people I chose to associate with," Dwyer explained with a sigh. "You guys are...admittedly great, but I'll be damned if you aren't the reason my hair is turning gray."

Soleil almost laughed, but she did catch sight of a few gray hairs poking out of Dwyer's scalp. She frowned and placed her hand on top of the butler's head, and effortlessly plucked out the unwelcomed hairs. She flicked them to the ground and hummed in satisfaction after getting a good look at her friend. "Much better," she said. She took Dwyer's arm again and dragged him towards their training spot.

The training spot was located in the training field where most of the soldiers worked out, sparred, etc., but unlike the other spots located on the field, theirs was naturally hidden by a strange rock formation shaped roughly like a dragon...if you squinted enough. The formation covered a small, barren area of stone and dirt, where the two could practice in peace.

The climb was hell, though.

The reason it was so well hidden was because in order to actually get to it, you had to climb over the rocks, and that was easier said than done. Well, Soleil didn't think so. She leaped from rock A to rock B with relative ease, turning around to see how the lazy butler was doing. "C'mon, Dwyer!" she called. "You gotta do better than that!"

Dwyer glared up at the flirtatious mercenary as he weakly scrambled up the formation. "I signed up to help you dance," he hissed. "I didn't sign up for rock climbing!"

Soleil shrugged. "Comes with the job," she said.

"Out of all the places we could've picked-"

"Oh, don't be such a baby," Soleil teased. "You're already at the top."

Dwyer stood up beside her, glaring. "I vote we find another place."

"Pfft~" Soleil scoffed. "You're overreacting, buddy." She then hopped off the top, gracefully sliding to the bottom thanks to repeated practice. She landed on the barren ground, stumbling slightly before catching her balance. She turned back to the butler and waved for him to join her. Dwyer frowned and sighed, before reluctantly jumping off the top as well. His landing strategy was a lot less impressive, being a mixture of tumbles and awkward positioning. When he finally reached the bottom, his once silky clean clothes were covered in dust.

Dwyer looked down and scowled, tugging at his clothing. "Aw man, I just washed these not too long ago..."

Soleil patted him on the shoulder. "If it bugs you that much, just take them off," she suggested, winking. "That's what I always do!"

Dwyer shuddered and slid away from the flirtatious mercenary. "I'm very much aware of that, unfortunately," he muttered. "And no, I will not be taking off my clothes. Unlike some people, I have dignity."

"Aw, no need to pull out the high and mighty act," Soleil teased, swaggering over towards her friend. She threw an arm over his shoulder. "No one is gonna see you shirtless!"

"Except you."

Soleil feigned shock. "Dwyer, are you suggesting me to be some kind of fiend?!" she gasped. "I would never let my eyes wander down there, honest!"

"Except you would."

Soleil's smile dropped. "You're not fun today." she deadpanned.

Dwyer shrugged. "Well then, I guess there's no need to help you out if that's your attitude..." He began walking away, and was about to climb back over the rocks when he turned back to Soleil and waved. "Well, see you later."

Not two seconds later he felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist. "Wait, don't go!" Soleil cried out. "I was just giving you a little light teasing, honest! I'll stop if it makes you uncomfortable, just don't leave me here alone!"

'It still baffles me how gullible half these people are,' Dwyer thought, prying Soleil off of his waist. "Fine, fine, I'll stay," he said, stepping into the middle of the field. "Now, you know the drill: left foot first."

Soleil nodded in determination, before taking a deep breath and getting into position. 'Okay, left foot...' she told herself, stepping forward. 'One and two, one and two, one and two, one and-' Sadly, just then she lost her balance and face-planted on the ground. Wincing, Soleil struggled to her feet, and felt blood leak out from her nose. "Ouch..." she hissed.

"Soleil" Dwyer gasped, rushing over towards his friend. He grabbed her shoulders and carefully led her to the rock formation, sitting her down. "Are you hurt?" He caught sight of the blood and frowned.

Soleil sniffed and wiped the blood away. "It's nothing, Dwyer," she assured him, turning her head away. "Just a scratch, I'll be fine!"

Dwyer shook his head. "Your nose isn't supposed to look like that, Soleil."

Soleil paled. "Wait, what?!"

"And I don't have my usual healing staff with me..." the butler mumbled, shaking his head. "Oh well," he sighed, glancing up at the girl. "Forgive me, this will probably hurt a bit." His hands reached out and gently touched her face, and Soleil squirmed a bit as a blush formed.

Dwyer wasn't wearing his gloves, the swords-woman realized. His hands...were really soft, much softer than she was expecting them to be. "D-Dwyer..." she murmured, eyes shifting away from his. Gods, what was up with her?! She never got this embarrassed being this close to someone before! 'Well, I've never been this close to a _boy_ before,' she thought. 'So, maybe that's it-'

 _SNAP!_

Soleil gasped and jerked her head away from Dwyer, hands shooting up to her nose. "Bloody hell!" she shrieked, glaring at Dwyer. "The heck did you do, Dwyer?!"

"I fixed your nose," he casually explained, as if he wasn't being yelled at just then. "I aligned it back into place. I told you it was going to hurt."

Soleil blinked and the pain dulled. "O-Oh..." she replied lamely. "Thanks..."

Dwyer hummed and began tearing his sleeve, much to Soleil's surprise and confusion. After he tore a decently sized piece off, Dwyer leaned down and offered it to Soleil. "Use this to clean the blood," he instructed.

"Alright..." Soleil said, wiping the blood away. "Thanks again."

"No problem," Dwyer said, extending his hand for the girl. Soleil took it, and when she was back on her feet Dwyer began walking towards the rock formation. "Well, that's one injury too many, let's call it a day."

Soleil rushed in to stop him. She held her arms out, blocking his path. "Oh no you don't!" she growled. "The lesson ain't over yet, mister!"

'Of course this would happen,' Dwyer thought, rolling his eyes. 'Maybe I can duck through...' He shook his head. 'That's stupid, she'd catch me before I could even start climbing.' The butler sighed and reluctantly nodded, stepping away. "Fine, fine... I'm just worried, that's all. I don't like seeing people get hurt."

"Dwyer, you don't have to spend all your time worrying about others," Soleil pointed out, her voice softer. "I mean, it's nice that you care about us like that, but the last thing I want is to see you unhappy for my or anyone else's sake. You need to start thinking about yourself too, y'know." She realized what she was saying and sighed, remembering Dwyer's issues that he still needed solving. "So...why not? Let's go, you obviously need a break from all this drama." She began walking away, turning around to address him again. "How about you get some help for a change?"

"Soleil, wait." Dwyer said. He looked down. "You're right, maybe I do need help." He looked back up at her. "But...let's finish practice first, okay?"

Soleil smiled and nodded. Humming, she walked over towards the butler until she stood in front of him. The two bowed and reached towards each other. Dwyer rested his right hand on Soleil's back while his left clasped with her right. Soleil placed her left hand on Dwyer's arm and nodded to herself. "This is...a waltz, right?" she asked. Dwyer nodded.

"Yeah, I learned it from my mother," he said. "We're going to start with my left foot, okay?"

The had only practiced the waltz once before, and that resulted in Dwyer having a broken foot thanks to Soleil's clumsiness on the dance floor. Soleil was surprised that Dwyer was willing to try it again, she figured he would've stayed ten feet away from the waltz at all times. Suddenly Dwyer's left foot stepped forward, taking the flirt by surprise. Reacting, she moved her right foot back. 'Okay, so far so good...'

'Oh gods, I'm going to end up with a broken foot again, aren't I?' Dwyer thought nervously as he guided his dance partner through the waltz. Actually, part of him wondered why he decided to choose the waltz. He told himself it was because it was easier to keep an eye on Soleil...or something. The girl stumbled briefly, but Dwyer kept her in balance. 'I don't want her to fall again,' he realized. 'I just got lectured for worrying about others, and here I am doing it.'

"So...what's been on your mind today?" Soleil asked as they danced.

"My father..." Dwyer admitted. "...I, uh...told him something..."

"Uh-huh, I know," his dancing partner revealed. "I overheard you and Nina talking about it."

"Sounds silly, doesn't it..?"

Soleil shook her head. "Honestly, Dwyer..." she sighed. "You're the kind of guy who wears his heart on his sleeve. In fact, I'm willing to bet you're the _only_ person in the army not aware of it. And if you are, you're too embarrassed to deal with it." She paused, then nodded to herself before speaking again. "Okay, let me rephrase some of this. You suck when it comes to your problems, because you're too busy trying to fix everyone else's. This whole ordeal with your dad, it's actually _really_ simple to fix, you just...suck at doing it."

"Well thanks," Dwyer deadpanned.

Soleil winced. "Sorry," she apologized, "I'm not the best when it comes to this sort of thing." She bit her lip. "Listen, what I'm trying to say is that you should just... _talk_ to him, I guess. And maybe while you're at it, take a breather and let some of us sort out our own problems. We appreciate the help more than you know, Dwyer, but what's the point of helping others if you never stop and help yourself?"

"I..." Dwyer trailed off, then nodded. "Yeah, you're right," he said. He looked at Soleil and smiled. "Thanks, I promise I'll talk to him after our dance."

Soleil grinned. "Good," she breathed in relief. She stumbled once more, but Dwyer held her up. Soleil said thanks, and then inched her body closer to the butler's. Humming a tune for them to waltz to, she let him take full control, and she followed his every move. 'But first, let's just enjoy the moment,' she said silently.

...

Dwyer waved goodbye to Soleil as she walked over to have a chat with Sophie, offering her a flower. Dwyer couldn't help but chuckle as Sophie rejected the flirt's advances, and he turned around to find himself face to face with Nina once more. "Sooo..." she started. "What were you to doing?"

"Training," Dwyer answered simply.

Nina nodded then glanced down, her eyes widening. "How did your sleeve get like that?" she wondered, pointing down at his torn sleeve.

"Training," Dwyer answered again. He smiled and patted Nina's shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Nina. Anyway, about my father..."

"Oh, have you decided on something?!" Nina gasped, beaming.

Dwyer scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Not really..." he admitted. "I'm not the best with coming up with ideas."

"You gave me that surprise party, remember?"

"Well yeah, but I had everyone's help with that," Dwyer pointed out.

Nina sighed and shook her head, placing her hands on her hips. "Well, don't you worry, Dwyer!" she told him. "I got a plan for you! Now, come closer..." As Dwyer did, Nina began whispering in his ear. The butler, upon hearing the plan, knew that only two things would come of it: Brilliant success or possible death...

...

"Dwyer?" Jakob called to his son. "You wanted to speak with me?"

"Uh, yeah..." Dwyer mumbled.

Jakob frowned. "Speak up, son. You know how I feel about your muttering."

Dwyer nodded and took a deep breath, looking his father in the eye. "Father, do you...want to...go..." He bit his lip and clenched his fists before forcing the last words out. "...camping tomorrow?"

...

 **This chapter was inspired by something a close friend of mine told me, which was more or less the same thing Soleil told Dwyer. Anyway...CAMPING! :D YAY! So, a father-son camping trip is in order, what chaos could _that_ possibly lead to? (Hint: All of it.) Don't forget to review! And remember, stay wykkyd!**


	16. Ignatius Cannot Read a Map

**Boy, oh boy, oh boy! The internet is still crap all over town for some reason, so it's a miracle I'm actually able to write this! Whew, anyway...let's just skip all the author's note crap and move on with the chapter! Also, don't miss a special sneak peak for another Fire Emblem story I have in development at the end of this chapter, it's been on my mind for over a year now and I really wanna get it out here. Enjoy!**

 **...**

"Camping?" Asugi repeated as he dodged a left hook. "Naps, you've got to be joking!"

"I'm not," Dwyer said as he barely blocked a kick from his best friend. "My father and I are going camping tomorrow, why re you acting so shocked?"

The sweet-loving ninja scoffed. "Maybe it's because I wasn't even _aware_ you knew what camping was." Asugi suddenly ducked low and swept Dwyer off of his feet with his leg. The butler crashed down onto the dirt, groaning in pain. Asugi wiped the sweat off of hi brow and smirked. "I win," he declared, offering a hand for Dwyer.

The butler grumbled and took it, hoisting himself to his feet. He sighed as he brushed his hands on his clothes. "Well, if you need to know, it wasn't my idea," he explained. "Nina thought it would be a great idea and forced me to ask my father."

"And the guy actually said yes?"

Dwyer nodded and stretched. "Mm-hm," he grunted. "I was surprised, too...but it looks like we both have no choice."

"Huh..." Asugi ran a sweaty hand through his damp hair. "Maybe I should try that with my dad..." A funny look crossed his face, and he rapidly shook his head. "Never mind...the old man would probably cause the whole forest to burn down..."

The butler shrugged and began walking away. "Hm, well, see you in a few days...or something."

"Yeah," Asugi agreed with a nod. "See you then."

And then the two parted ways, heading opposite directions.

The moment Asugi was out of sight, Dwyer groaned and pressed his head against a tree. Camping? _Camping?!_ What the hell was Nina thinking, coming up with a stupid idea like that? And what the hell was Dwyer thinking when he _agreed_ to it? And why did Jakob agree?! What the hell was even going on?!

"Of all the..." Dwyer trailed off, and reluctantly he forced himself to calm down. It was getting late, and dinner would be ready soon, and he needed to wash away all of the sweat he worked up during the spar with Asugi. That, and he needed to pack some things for the camping trip. Sighing, the butler dragged his feet over towards the bathhouse. He stopped by his room briefly to collect some new clothes and a towel, and then he continued on his way.

After stripping himself of his clothing, the butler sank down into the water and gave a blissful sigh. Almost instantly, all of his worries washed away, along with the ache in his body. 'I needed this...' he thought to himself. Maybe he should stay here for awhile and skip dinner... Ophelia would stop by his room to deliver some leftovers, the dark mage had a strange habit of doting over him...

 _"No wonder Ophelia's crushing on you!"_

Dwyer blinked, then shook his head. No...there was no way Ophelia had feelings for him! She was just a strange (and he put that lightly) girl who cared for her friends, that's all.

The butler sighed and closed his eyes. He was letting his mind wander too much, he was here to relax before the camping trip, and he'd be damned if anything stopped him from enjoying this peace and quiet.

A gasp from the other side of the large bath made his eyes burst open. Dwyer slowly, regrettably, stared ahead to see who, or what, made that noise. He froze and paled, and immediately he knew that any chance he had of seeking this girl's forgiveness was forever lost.

"D-D-Dwyer..." Caeldori stammered, her face as bright red as her hair. She was using the bathhouse's steam to try to cover her unclothed body, and Dwyer noticed she was beginning to shake.

"Caeldori..."

"You...you PERVERT!" Caeldori shrieked, splashing water harmlessly at the startled butler's direction. "Get out, get out, GET OUT!"

Dwyer finally regained his senses and leaped out of the water, snatching up his towel and sprinting away. "I'm sorry!" he yelled over his shoulder. Dwyer wasn't much of a runner, but he bolted out of the bathhouse faster than his legs could actually carry him. He didn't stop until he reached his room, throwing open the door and immediately slamming it shut upon entrance.

He was gasping for breath, and smacked his red cheeks as he tried to erase the image of Caeldori bathing. "A..pervert?" he panted. "Me? That's...that's ridiculous..."

This was all Rhajat's fault, he decided. Her's and her stupid puppet Dwyer...

Dwyer groaned and ran a hand through his hair, before realizing that he would have to go to dinner soon. Frowning, he took up the task of drying himself, but when he reached for his clothing he realized to his annoyance that he had accidentally left them in the bathhouse.

"Great..." he growled as he dug through his drawer for more clothes. "I'll have to go back and get them after dinner..." That, and he would _still_ have to pack. Dwyer had a horrible feeling that he wouldn't be getting as much sleep as he would've wanted...

After getting dressed, Dwyer poked his head out of the door and turned to look at the bathhouse. 'Okay, seems safe enough...' he thought to himself, slipping out and closing the door behind him. Glancing around once more, he hurriedly walked towards the mess hall, slipping inside and finding a seat by Mitama. The sleepy poet took quick note of Dwyer's appearance and sighed.

"The boy seems troubled./ Panting, gasping, body wet," she recited, tilting her head. "Did you see a ghost?"

Dwyer shook his head. "No...You know I don't believe in ghosts," he said. He sighed and rested his head against the tabletop. "What I saw was much, much worse."

"Care to enlighten me?" Mitama asked, but she paid closer attention to Dwyer's panicked eyes sweeping across the mess hall, and she decided she would rather not know. "Or...not." She raised her hand and gently settled it on her fellow lazy healer's shoulder, patting it softly. "Well, good news... Soleil's mother is in charge of dinner tonight!" She smiled. "We'll be having a feast, Dwyer!"

"Sounds great..." Dwyer muttered, not lifting his face from the table. "Wake me up when it comes around, I won't be getting much sleep tonight..."

Mitama raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" she questioned.

The butler finally lifted his head and bit his lip. "Tomorrow I'll be going..." He gulped. "...Camping..."

Mitama, who had taken this opportunity to take a sip from her glass of water, sprayed it out of her mouth in surprise. Coughing, she rubbed her throat and set her glass down. "Camping?!" she hissed, whipping her head around to face the boy. "But Dwyer...you HATE those kind of things!"

"It's to help my father and I bond," Dwyer explained. "I can make an exception for that..."

"Are you sure you can?" Mitama asked, sceptical.

"Why wouldn't I be able to?" Dwyer shot back in annoyance. "Besides, it's only for a few days...what's the worst that could happen?"

Mitama stared at Dwyer. Dwyer stared back, before he nodded in defeat. "Okay, you win..."

Mitama hummed and glanced behind her, smiling. "On a bright note, the food is here!" she announced as Peri, Soleil's mother who was totally not a psycho murderer, set the food down in front of them.

"Enjoy, kids!" the childish woman chirped. She winked and licked her lips. "I added a _special_ mystery ingredient this time..." Giggling, Peri skipped away, already serving Lord Corrin some more of her food. Dwyer stared after her, before turning to glance back at the seemingly harmless steak covered in some kind of berry sauce. It looked tempting, but Dwyer wasn't sure he wanted to know what the 'mystery ingredient' was.

"I don't think I'm that hungry, now that I think about it..." Dwyer murmured, reluctantly pushing the plate away. He turned to Mitama, gesturing at the plate. "You want it?"

Mitama frowned. "I don't need you stuffing me like a pig, thank you very much," she barked, taking a single bite of her own steak. "A woman needs to keep her figure, you know." She sighed blissfully as she swallowed the portion.

"Uh...sure..." Dwyer hesitantly agreed, the image of Caeldori flashing in front of his eyes. The butler felt his cheeks heat up, and he frustratingly slapped them.

Suddenly, a new voice spoke up. "Uh...Hey, Dwyer."

Dwyer glanced up, and saw Ignatius hesitantly sitting down across from him. Dwyer raised an eyebrow, not sure what the knight was doing her. The two have never spoken much, and when they did the conversation never lasted long. Ignatius was a kind of boy who, while friendly enough, had trouble speaking for more than a few blunt sentences. In many ways, he was exactly like his father. Blunt, quiet, and really, _really_ big.

"Ignatius?" Dwyer sat up. "Is something the matter?"

"No, not really." Ignatius said. "I was just wondering if you finished packing for tomorrow."

Dwyer frowned. Tomorrow? Did he mean the camping trip? But if he did, how would he know what Dwyer was doing? "I'm...not sure what you're talking about." he admitted after a few moments.

Ignatius coughed and ran a hand through his hair. "You know...the camping trip?"

Dwyer blinked. "Yes, I know of it...but how do you?"

Ignatius frowned. "You mean Nina didn't tell you?" he asked. Dwyer shook his head. Ignatius clicked his tongue, before hesitantly smiling. "Oh, well...My father and I are going camping with you guys."

Silence, save for Mitama's blissful moan as she took another bite of Peri's cooking.

"...wait, what?!" Dwyer said, voice rising.

Ignatius flinched. "Yeah..." he mumbled. "Father and I aren't really the closest either. Nina offered to help, and she set us all up for a camping trip." He tried to smile. "M-Maybe it's for the best, Dwyer. My father knows a lot about the wilderness. You and your father would be a lot safer with him around." He dug into his pocket and pulled out a small bracelet. "I...I even made this charm for you. It'll keep you safe."

Wordlessly, Dwyer took the charm from Ignatius's hand, and slipped it into his pocket. He stared at the large knight for a few moments, before nodding slowly. "Alright, then...I can see your point." he murmured. Still, he hoped he would still have time to reconnect with his father.

"You really shouldn't be surprised, Dwyer," Mitama spoke up, pushing away her plate. "The yaoi fangirl/ Two handsome men sent away/ Love, lust, and passion."

Dwyer tilted his head. "You know, all you Hoshidans mention yaoi, but none of you have told me what it even means."

Mitama shook her head, her cheeks suddenly a hint of red. "It's best...you do not know," she coughed.

"Actually, I'm curious too," Ignatius mentioned, leaning closer.

Mitama squirmed in her seat, not looking very comfortable. She bit her lip and drummed her fingers, looking for an excuse to get out of this situation. Her star-shaped eyes caught sight of something behind Dwyer, and she pointed toward it. "Uh...Isn't that the bandit Midori brought to the healers?" she asked, thankfully distracting the boys.

Dwyer turned, and hummed. "Yeah, it is..." he confirmed, eyes following the now healed bandit as he mumbled a thanks to Peri. 'Is he a guest?' he wondered. 'Or did Lord Corrin allow him to join the army?' Dwyer spent enough time in the army to know that Lord Corrin was a man of mercy; those who surrendered were treated with respect, and more than a handful of enemy soldiers had ended up joining Lord Corrin's ranks. It seems they had a new recruit...

Dwyer suddenly remembered that his clothes were still in the bathhouse, and Caeldori would've more than likely left by now. Sighing in relief, he stood up and nodded his goodbye to his two table companions, before exiting the mess hall and making his way back towards the bathhouse.

'Please be gone,' he silently begged. 'Please be gone, please be gone, please be-'

The bathhouse was empty. Dwyer nodded to himself and took a step forward, only for his foot to press against something. Glancing down, he saw that his clothes were laying there, stacked in a neat pile and folded perfectly. A small smile tugged at Dwyer's lips, and he carefully gathered the clothes in his arm. Whistling a tune to himself, he decided that it was time to go back to his room. After all, he still needed to pack...

...

Dwyer awoke to the sound of knocking on his door. Smacking his lips together, the butler yawned and forced himself to open his eyes. He glanced out his window, wincing as the sun shined in his eyes. Groaning, Dwyer rolled out of his bed, shaking his head. "Yeah?" he called to the door, voice slurring. Packing took its toll on him, leaving him with barely enough sleep.

"Son? Are you ready?" Jakob's voice asked through the door.

Dwyer glanced at his bags before nodding. "Yeah," he said, "just give me a minute."

Dwyer stood up and stretched, grunting as he felt his bones pop. He cracked his neck to the side before finally feeling his body relax. Glancing towards the end of the room, he saw the indoors-safe fire place had gone out, but the tea kettle of water still had steam rising from it. This was for Dwyer's instant coffee, a trick he learned from a cynical old man from the last village they visited. Instant coffee never tasted as good as the kind that had time and effort poured into it, but it would do for keeping him awake.

Coffee was a beverage meant to be enjoyed, but Dwyer had no time for enjoyment. Gulping down his coffee as fast as he could, he coughed and smacked his chest a few times. He couldn't feel his tongue, but that didn't matter...probably. Stretching once more, Dwyer then grabbed his belongings and pushed open the door, seeing his father standing there with his own luggage.

"Well, it's about time you woke up," Jakob tutted, shaking his head. "Let's go, Benny and his son are waiting for us." He walked away without looking to see if Dwyer would follow, and the younger butler could tell that his father was having the same feelings he was. Sighing, Dwyer shrugged his bag over his shoulders and followed his father wordlessly.

The air around them was just as awkward as it had been before, neither servants knowing what to say. Dwyer couldn't help but sigh in relief when they reached the main entrance/exit of the castle, where they saw Benny waving at them, Ignatius by his side and staring at his own feet. The two adults exchanged greetings, before Benny pulled a large map out of one of his deep pockets. Unfolding it, he set it down and motioned for everyone to sit.

"There's a forest not far from the astral plane exit," he explained, pointing at a spot on the map that resembled a dark green blob. "It has plenty of great camping spots, the best is maybe a two hour hike north."

"Sounds agreeable," Jakob responded. Then he pointed at another blob next to the 'forest'. "Um...but what does this mean?"

"Oh, that?" Benny grunted, peering down at it. A big grin appeared on his face. It was a little scary, Dwyer thought. "That means that there are plenty of bears in those woods."

"B-Bears?!" both Dwyer and Jakob gasped, sharing a brief glance of worry. Jakob cleared his throat. "With all due respect, Benny, I'm not sure that we should-"

"Oh, you don't have to worry!" Benny quickly assured. "Bears are my friends, they won't hurt anyone that's with me."

"Oh." Jakob frowned, then shrugged. "Well, I suppose I have to take your word for it." He turned to Dwyer. "What do you think, son?"

What did he think? Dwyer looked down. What did he think? He thought that the idea of camping out with bears sounded absolutely insane! Who in their right mind would even consider it?! He couldn't allow this! There was _no_ way he was going to march to his death with these madmen! He had no choice but to refuse!

He put on his best grin. "It sounds great," he agreed, "whatever you say, Mr. Benny."

Gods-dammit...

Benny gave a low chuckle. It sounded like the devil's own laughter to poor Dwyer. "Well that's good," he said, taking the map and standing up. "Well, let's not waste any more time. Let's go!" He turned to his son. "Ignatius?"

"Y-Yeah, Dad?"

Benny handed the young knight the map. "You'll be in charge of guiding us." he said, before smiling. "I know you can do it."

Ignatius gulped. "O-Of course, Dad!" He took a deep breath and nodded, unfolding the map. "Alright, let's get this show on the road!"

Dwyer didn't have the heart to point out that Ignatius was looking at the map upside down. 'We're doomed.' he thought.

 **...**

 **And that's the end of this chapter! Don't got much to say, except enjoy the sneak peek to a new story I've added in as a bonus ;) In the meantime, I gotta get ready for prom :D Don't forget to review! And remember, stay wykkyd!**

 **...**

 _"Wait!" Corrin called out as the large mass slunk into the shadows. "Don't go! I want to talk to you!" She stepped closer, eyes carefully trained on the looming shadow. She needed to know...she had to figure out who was the mysterious 'guardian angel' who protected both her and her allies in battle. She had to figure out why Leo claimed that there was always one soldier apparently unaccounted for. She needed to know the invisible shield that deflected all harm from her..._

 _A gleam of orange caught her eye, and she stopped. "I can see you," she told the mysterious figure. "I know you're good at hiding, but you don't have to hide around me."_

 _The figure seemed to hesitate, before slowly, cautiously, stepping out of the darkness. It was a man, a rather large one. He had a humble look on his face, much more gentle than his size would imply. What was intriguing was his bright silver and orange armor, much like the knights of Nohr. Corrin wondered how such a colorful armor could go so unnoticed after all this time._

 _"Um...hi." the man greeted, giving a slight wave._

 _Corrin smiled after that, and she eagerly waved back. "Hello there," she returned the greeting. "So you're the 'guardian angel', huh?"_

 _The man rubbed his head and glanced away. "Is that what they're calling me?" he asked. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised..."_

 _Corrin giggled and stepped closer, tilting her head as she got a closer look at the man. "What's your name?" she asked him._

 _The man blinked, before a ghost of a smile appeared across his lips. "My name's Kellam," he answered, kneeling down on one knee and placing his fist on his chest. "I'm a knight, and I'm here to serve you, Lady Corrin."_


	17. Nah

**Okay, okay, okay...it's been like three months or so since I last updated this story, and you guys deserve an explanation. Well, long story short, my crippling depression got in the way and I ended up with severe writer's block. But just last night I realized...I love writing. God, it's one of my favorite things to do, it keeps me from being depressed! So...why would I just let myself get beat up over this? Why not just say 'fuck it' and just get back to writing? SO! To make the absence up to all of you, I won't be just uploading one chapter today...Nope! You little tots are getting THREE of these bad boys today! Hell, if I have the time for it...FOUR! So let me shut the hell up and lets get moving! Y'all people deserve it after this long!**

 **As always, enjoy the chapter~ (And leave dem reviews, y'know?)**

 **...**

"Father?"

"Yes, son?"

"We're lost, aren't we?"

Jakob sighed. "Yes, I do believe we are..."

Dwyer winced and looked around him. Trees. Trees everywhere, and not a single sign of where they were. He shouldn't have been surprised, he knew this was going to happen. They have been hiking for most of the day, much longer than Benny said they would've to reach their camping spot. The sun was high above them, its harsh rays piercing through the thick treetops and beating down on them. Dwyer grimaced as he pulled at his clothing, hating how sticky they were.

Benny seemed to notice the two butlers' discomfort, and he turned to his son, who was nose deep in the map. "Ignatius, have you been reading the map correctly?" he asked gently, yet sternly.

Ignatius blinked. "Eh?" He gulped. "O-Of course I have, Dad!" he stammered, laughing awkwardly. "We shouldn't be too far from the place now...eheh..." He laughed awkwardly and began sweating.

"Oh, for the love of-" Jakob snatched the map out of the young knight's hands. "Give me that!" The butler studied the map for a few seconds, before he slowly turned it around. "You've been reading the map _upside down,_ Ignatius," he hissed. "We've been heading the opposite way this entire time!"

Ignatius flinched and scratched the back of his neck. "S-Sorry..." he murmured. Dwyer couldn't help but feel a little bad for the boy, but he would rather not get involved with the situation.

"It's alright, son," Benny assured, resting his big paw on his son's shoulders. He turned to Jakob and took the map from him. "Hmm...we could try heading back and finding the campsite," he said, "but it would be dark by the time we get there..." He observed the woods surrounding them. "I don't think that would be a wise idea..." He pocketed the map and glanced towards Jakob. "I think we should just keep pressing forward and search for a new spot, Jakob."

"Hmph, well I couldn't disagree," Jakob said, nodding. "You know the woods better than the rest of us." He turned to Dwyer. "What do you think, son?"

Dwyer bit his lip and nodded. "Yeah...sounds great..." Honestly, what else was he supposed to say? No? What good would that do? To tell the truth, Dwyer felt like a damn appetizer in these woods, he had a sinking feeling any number of creatures would snatch him up at any moment and swallow him whole. The only reason they haven't made their move yet was because they were scared of Benny...

...though to be fair, Benny looked like he would eat Dwyer too.

"Then it's settled," Benny decided, "let's keep moving." He took the lead, with Ignatius following close behind. Jakob motioned for Dwyer to follow before he started walking behind the two knights. Dwyer sighed and began walking also, running a hand through his blonde hair.

'Why do I feel like this is going to end in disaster?' he asked himself.

He was probably overreacting. No doubt many of his friends, mainly Ophelia, would've said he was being too negative. Was he too negative, or were they too positive?

"Dwyer?"

The young butler glanced up to see that Jakob had lessened his stride so he was walking side by side with him. "Yes, Father?" he wondered.

"Is there something on your mind?"

Dwyer hesitated, then shook his head. "I'm fine, just thinking, is all..."

Jakob raised an eyebrow. "About?"

Dwyer shrugged. "My friends, I guess."

"Ah, yes, you do have a considerable amount of them," Jakob noted, resting a hand on his son's shoulder. "And you do a considerable amount for them as well, don't think I haven't noticed." He smirked. "You mother told me about the party you threw for Nile's daughter. That was very kind of you, son."

Dywer coughed. "Ah, thanks..." he muttered. "It wasn't anything special, though..."

"I'm proud of you."

Dwyer snapped his head towards his father. "Eh?"

Jakob cleared his throat and glanced away, removing his hand away from Dwyer. "I, er...said I was...proud...of you."

"Oh...thanks." Dwyer said, glancing away as well.

"You're welcome."

An uncomfortable silence passed through them, until Jakob cleared his throat once more. "You've been making startling progress since you first arrived, Dwyer," he praised...sort of. "Although you can still be a lazy oaf, you've been taking your tasks more seriously."

Dwyer bit his lip. "I've always taken my tasks seriously, Father..."

"Huh?"

"I know I can be a bit lazy, but you always said 'work before rest'," Dwyer explained. "I...I always tried to live up to those words, even when I didn't feel like it...I wanted to be as good of a butler as you are, Father..."

"Dwyer, I..." Jakob trailed off and sighed.

"It...It was just hard, y'know?" Dwyer continued. He clenched his hands into fists and took a breath. "Because it seemed like no matter what I did, it was never good enough..."

Jakob remained silent, and Dwyer was beginning to worry. 'Dammit, Dwyer, just had to open your mouth, didn't you?' he scolded himself, closing his eyes as he waited for what his father had to say.

"Dwyer, there's something-"

"Hey, you two!" Benny called, interrupting whatever the older butler was about to say. He waved them over, and then pointed to a spot across the river they had reached. "Ignatius and I think that would be a great spot to stay, wouldn't you agree?"

When Dwyer looked at it, he couldn't help but nod his head in agreement. It was a small clearing, but not too small that they all couldn't stay on it. It had a blanket of treetops covering it, providing shelter against a number of things. Towards the back there was no shortage of small trees and bushes that would provide a decent enough fire, and the river would provide all the water they would need. If he looked closely, Dwyer could see the outlines of some fish swimming by, and his mouth started to water at the thought of cooking one for dinner.

"It's great..." he breathed. Jakob wordlessly nodded in agreement. Benny grinned, but Ignatius coughed awkwardly. "But, uh...how are we gonna get there?" he asked. "I don't see any stepping stones..."

"Hmm..." Benny hummed, closely observing the water. "It doesn't look too deep," he noted. "At most, the deepest part of the river would come up to our waists. We could wade across."

All excitement Dwyer had died right there and then. Frowning, he glanced up at his father, silently hoping the man would disagree.

Jakob nodded. "If that's how it must be, then so be it," he said. "Dwyer, I hope you're ready to get wet."

...yeah, he should've seen that one coming. Dwyer sighed and reluctantly nodded, watching as Benny took the first steps into the water. He winced, probably from the cold temperature, but soon starting taking one step after the other. When he reached the middle, the water was indeed up to his waist. The large knight turned back to his fellow campers and motioned for them to start crossing. Ignatius took a deep breath and began wading in after his father, leaving the two butlers on land.

Jakob gestured the the water. "After you," he said. Dwyer frowned and reluctantly placed his foot in the water. His boots were not waterproof, and immediately the crisp mountain water made contact with his bare foot. Dwyer gasped and froze, but soon forced himself to take another step. Then another, then another. The cold was almost unbearable, but he forced himself to keep going. However, the closer he got to the middle of the river, the sooner he realized that he had a big problem.

He was shorter and lighter than everyone else.

The water was past his chest, and he was struggling to find a good foothold. He awkwardly began flailing around, attracting everyone's attention. Panic began spreading through him, and he tried to swim the rest of the way across.

"Dwyer, be careful!" Jakob's voice rang out from behind him. Dwyer caught sight of Benny wading back into the water, ready to help out the young butler. However, right then the wind picked up, and poor Dwyer was sent streaming down the river!

"Dwyer!" Jakob cried out.

'Crap!' Dwyer panicked. 'Crap, crap, crap!' He desperately tried to swim against the current, but he felt it pick up and become stronger. Turning his head over his shoulder, he saw that rapids were forming, and Dwyer swam even harder. "H-Help!" he shouted, mentally cursing his weaker body.

"Hang on!" Benny roared, wading after the young butler. Dwyer saw that Benny too was beginning to struggle, and the knight had to stop his advancement to plant his feet firmly on the riverbed.

That one second it took sent Dwyer's hopes down the drain as the river gave a final effort to carry him away, further and further from the group.

"DWYER!" All three yelled, diving in after him.

'I'm going to die!' Dwyer realized, freezing up. His body battered against the rocks, draining more and more of his energy as the river dragged him along. Soon, he completely lost sight of the others, but the rapids did not let up. As he pathetically tried to struggle, Dwyer realized something...the river would be carrying him to one of two things. At best, a lake. At worst...

He would probably be plummeting over a waterfall to his doom.

Dwyer gasped as he was suddenly dragged underwater, and he felt a large fish barrel past him, forcing his mouth open and filling it with water. He somehow rose back to the surface, coughing and sputtering as he tried to take in enough air. He didn't receive any, and the river forced him back under. He hit his head against a rock, turning his vision fuzzy.

'I'm gonna drown here...' he thought to himself weakly. 'If I do, I'm coming back as a ghost and haunting Nina for the rest of her life...'

He stopped struggling...what would be the point? His vision was beginning to fade, and he realized he would probably slip into unconsciousness any second now...after that, it would probably be a painless experience...so why fight against it. Dwyer closed his eyes and resisted the urge to fight, allowing his body to continue being abused by the harsh river.

'Father, Mother, I'm sorry...' he thought. 'I wish I could've been a better son...'

He felt a pair of arms wrap around him.

Dwyer's eyes shot open, and the urge to fight against the current return. His head burst above the water and he took a huge gulp of air. "Like hell I'm dying!" he managed to cry out.

"Oh, that's good." a voice calmly said. "For a second there, I was worried I would have to do mouth to mouth."

...what?

Dwyer sat up, gasping. He looked around wildly and noticed that he was now on the shore, the strong river currents harmlessly passing by. "What?" he breathed, before turning to his rescuer.

It was a girl who looked about Dwyer's age, though all the butler had to do was look into her eyes to see she was far older than her youthful appearance would suggest, much like Miss Nyx. She wore a simple white dress with a red cloak over her shoulders. Her face was narrow, and her mint green hair was tied in two braided pigtails. The most striking part of her appearance was her large and pointed ears, much like that of the elves in the stories his mother would read him when he was younger.

"...are you an elf?" he found himself asking.

The girl blinked, then narrowed her eyes. "First of all, no," she hissed. "Second of all, that's a little insulting. Third of all, that's no way to talk to someone who just saved your life!"

"R-Right!" Dwyer stuttered, his face red. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you." He took a breath. "Thank you for saving my life, Miss..?"

"Nah."

Dwyer tilted his head. "Pardon."

"My name," the girl said with a roll of her eyes. "It's Nah, and don't you dare laugh at it!"

"I-I wasn't going to!" Dwyer protested, though secretly he thought the name _was_ rather silly. He didn't dare tell the girl, though.

"Good," Nah grunted, before standing up and stretching. "Well, see ya around, I guess." She turned to walk away, but Dwyer grabbed her wrist, stopping her.

"That's it?!" Dwyer demanded. "You save my life and you're just gonna leave me like this?! I don't even know where I am, how am I supposed to get back to my father?!"

Nah raised an eyebrow, then shrugged. "Not my problem, really," she said. "There's something I have to do, and I can't afford to _not_ do it!" She sighed. "Look, just start following the river back, no doubt you'll run into your dad or whatever."

"I..." Dwyer paused, then nodded. "I guess you're right..." He stepped in front of the girl, eyes narrowing. "What is it you have to do?" he asked.

"What does it matter to you?"

To be honest, Dwyer's old instincts were coming back. Call it a hunch, but whatever this girl needed...maybe he could help. It was the least he could do to repay her. "Maybe I can help," he suggested, "I owe you, after all."

Nah shook her head. "It's not your concern..." she muttered. "Unless you know where to find them..."

Dwyer raised an eyebrow. "Uh...them?"

"I'm looking for three of my friends," Nah explained. "They disappeared about a thousand years ago, but I know they're out there somewhere."

Dwyer choked and did a double take. "A-A _thousand_ years ago?!" he gasped. "How old are you?!"

"One thousand and nineteen," Nah answered causally.

"Uh...Shouldn't your friends be sort of...dead?" Dwyer asked.

Nah shrugged. "It's a very complicated story, one too big to fit in your own." she told him, looking him up and down. "You're just a young boy, my journey is too much for you to comprehend."

Dwyer frowned. "Gee, thanks..." he grumbled. "Way to make a guy feel special..."

Nah smirked, her first real sign of emotion. "Glad to help." She turned around and began walking away. "Farewell, boy, I doubt we'll meet again..."

"W-Wait!" Dwyer called out, causing Nah to stop.

The girl turned around, face cross. "What now?"

"What are their names?" Dwyer asked, wincing. "I, uh...can keep a look out for them..? Maybe?" He'd just have to spend a lot of time in graveyards...

Nah tilted her head. "Why would you, a naive young boy, want to help a stranger on a quest that might be for nothing?" she asked him.

Dwyer shrugged. "Call it my specialty..."

"Hmph." Nah closed her eyes, before nodding. "Their names are Inigo, Owain, and Severa." she said, before taking a few steps closer to Dwyer. "Thank you, boy."

"Uh, no proble-"

He was suddenly cut off as the girl briefly pressed her lips against his, dragging her fingers over his eyes to close them. Then, she parted away from him, and when Dwyer opened his eyes...Nah had disappeared.

"What...was that?" he wondered out loud.

"DWYER!" The young butler turned around and saw Jakob, Benny, and Ignatius sprinting towards him. "Dwyer!" Jakob gasped, grabbing his son's shoulders. "Are you alright?!"

"I, uh, um...yeah, I am," Dwyer answered, still in a daze.

Jakob sighed in relief, nodding. "Thank the gods..." He wrapped an arm around his son's shoulders and guided him toward the two knights. "Come on, let's head to camp and get a warm fire started, shall we?"

"O-Of course..." Dwyer muttered, surprised by his father's behavior. His mind then drifted back to Nah, and he blushed as he remembered the kiss. He could still feel her lips on his own...

He also remembered the names she gave him. 'Inigo, Owain, and Severa, huh?' he thought. 'Hmm...'

...

Back at Corrin's castle, Nina froze. Her Dwyer senses were tingling. Nina's face turned a bright red, and blood slowly leaked out of her nose. 'Did he and Ignatius...?' She shook her head. 'No, no, they wouldn't...I'm sure I'm just imagining things...'

...

 **No, Nah is not going to be a main part of the story, I just gave her a glorified cameo to poke fun at a joke I made in an earlier chapter (which some of you probably remember). Anyway, don't forget to review! And remember, stay wykkyd!**

 **(Tune into the next chapter, which will be posted immediately after this one!)**


	18. Father and Son

**Second chapter of the day, woohoo! I am on a goddamn ROLL! Hope you guys enjoyed that Nah cameo XD Though I know at least one of you is plotting my death right now. But, no need for all that, I won't take up anymore of your time... Enjoy the chapter, everyone!**

 **(WARNING: This chapter contains some content that some of you might be uncomfortable reading. Please note that I'm not trying to offend anyone, and I hope none of you take it personally. This was hard for me to write too, kiddos.)**

 **...**

Rhajat sighed as she slumped onto the dirt, shrugging her large pack off of her shoulders. Groaning, she rubbed her shoulders and tried to bring some life back in them. How much longer was this journey going to take? She shouldn't be too far from the village... She was close, but first she needed to rest... The diviner closed her eyes and rested on her back, laying one hand on her bare stomach.

'Not much longer...' she thought to herself. 'Soon, I'll make Mother proud...Father too.'

She hoped that her medicine would work... She didn't care anymore about proving her innocence to the villagers, she just knew that she needed to help. Perhaps if she succeeded, Hayato would finally be able to move on from Orochi's death...maybe he would even find someone new to love. As much as Rhajat personally did not enjoy the thought of having a stepmother, as long as her father was happy...that was all that mattered. It couldn't be too hard for him, right? Hayato was a handsome enough young man, many women would find him as a suitable husband.

Rhajat shook her head. Medicine first, matchmaker second...

Her thoughts then drifted to a certain young butler, causing the diviner to blush. She sighed and opened her eyes. "Maybe I should have taken him with me..." she murmured. The journey had been pretty lonely, and Rhajat found herself wishing for a companion. Dwyer would undoubtedly be her first choice, the young man had been there for her even though they barely knew one another. It was admirable, his character. A young man who cared for everyone around, despite what one might first think. A true gentleman, it was no wonder several of the other girls were developing crushes on him, Rhajat included.

Though as much as she wished Dwyer was here, arms wrapped around her...it was for the best that he wasn't. For all his good qualities, Dwyer had one fatal flaw.

He always put others before himself. He never bothered taking care of himself, and the effects were noticeable. Rhajat had been watching the young butler for awhile, and she saw the signs of fatigue beginning to wear down on him. No doubt that he had his own problems building up, but he ignored them in favor of acting as everyone else's savior. Some might have seen that as a prime example of his selflessness and heroism.

Those with common sense would've seen it as stupid.

After all, he went out of his way to help her make the medicine, he let her be a shoulder to cry on...even after that whole puppet incident. Normally, no one would've forgiven her so easily...yes, Dwyer was a strange young man.

It was for the best that he wasn't here with her. The butler needed time to deal with own problems before handling someone else's. Rhajat just hoped that Dwyer would pick up on that...

The diviner stood up and stretched, deciding her break was over. She glanced up at the sun, noticing how it was beginning to set. Rhajat narrowed her eyes and quickly shrugged on her pack, taking two steps at a time as she continued on her journey. The road she was traveling on had a reputation for nighttime bandits, and she would rather not get caught up in that situation. She had to make it to the village by nightfall, or else she could be in danger...

As the night finally settled in, Rhajat caught sight of the village from the top of a hill, about a mile away. She smiled in relief, and looked up at the stars. "I made it, Mother..." she whispered, and a stray tear fell from her eye. "I made it..."

Funny how she never ran into a single bandit, though...

Rhajat's eyes suddenly widened, and she looked back down at the village, noticing the smoke beginning to rise...

"No..." she gasped as flecks of orange began scattering around the buildings, and even from here she could hear the evil cackles and the frightened screams. "No..." she gasped again, backing away. She bumped into something, and a pair of large arms wrapped around her waist, one of them snaking upwards towards her chest.

"And where do you think you're going, little missy?" a venomous voice chuckled. "Don't you want to enjoy our little light show?"

'No...no...' Rhajat winced as a large paw of a hand roughly groped her breast. She squirmed and tried to break free of the bandit's grasp, but he kept a firm hold.

"Stay still, won'tcha?!" he barked. "Gods, you women and yer struggling!" He squeezed her chest hard, causing Rhajat to yelp. The bandit grinned and licked his lips. "You were planning on savin' that village, weren't ya?" he growled. "Ho man, that's rich! You're a little too late, though, sweetheart..." He started to yank at her top and pulled her closer. "But at least we have each other, don't we~?"

"You..." Rhajat hissed, struggling more. Then suddenly...she stopped.

"Hm? Speak up sweetheart!" the bandit said.

Rhajat suddenly grinned seductively, managing to free an arm and snake it around her captor's neck. She slowly pulled him closer until her lips brushed against his, then further until they were at his ear.

"Die now."

"Wha-" The bandit was suddenly snatched away, and he screamed in terror as he came face to face with a large monster. "WHAT THE HELL?!" he shrieked. "LEMME GO! LEMME GO LEMME GO LEMME-"

Blood splattered on the ground and the bandit's body was dropped carelessly. Rhajat stared at it coldly, eyes void of emotion. _Good,_ a voice inside her head whispered. _Now, take vengeance!_

The diviner glanced up at the horde of faceless that were waiting for her orders. Rhajat pointed at the destroyed village, and in a voice not her own she said _"Kill those that did this."_

Perhaps there was another reason she chose not to bring Dwyer along...

...

Dwyer wrapped the large blanket further around himself as he stared into the fire Benny had started. It was night now, though surprisingly the young butler was in no mood to sleep. One would think that after the beating he got from the river, he would've jumped at the opportunity to sleep. Truth is, he tried, but sleep refused to come. So, here he was, sitting in front of a fire with nothing else to do.

It was pretty boring. Like, really boring.

Dwyer sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head lightly. Once again, he remembered the kiss he received from the girl he had met earlier, and he began blushing again. Shaking his head more, he tried to get rid of the embarrassing memory, to no avail.

"Something on your mind, son?" Dwyer jumped a little as Jakob sat down next to him. The older butler tossed a few small branches into the fire, watching them burn. "Thinking about what happened today?"

"N-No, I..." Dwyer trailed off, deciding that it was probably best no one knew about Nah. A thousand year old elf lady rescuing him from the river? Yeah, didn't sound like the most sane story. Instead, Dwyer asked, "Where are Benny and Ignatius?"

Jakob pointed to his right. "They went off on a walk, probably for some bonding time." he explained, before coughing. "I thought you and I could have some as well...if that's alright with you."

"Oh! Um...sure," Dwyer agreed halfheartedly. "Sounds great, Father..."

"Good, good."

The awkward silence was unbearable, but Dwyer had no clue on how to fix it. He sighed and closed his eyes, continuing to wrap the blanket around himself. This camping was a terrible idea, he decided. He never should've taken Nina's offer...

"You know, son, I remember how adventurous you were when you were younger," Jakob suddenly recalled.

Dwyer opened his eyes and looked at his father. "What do you mean?" he asked. "I don't remember doing anything that qualified as 'adventurous'."

Jakob shrugged. "You were probably too young to remember," he explained. "But I remember. I remember how you were so curious about the world, you could never sit still. Outside our house was a whole world waiting to be explored, and you just had to find out what there was!"

"Huh..." Dwyer shook his head. "So why didn't I?"

"Oh, you did," Jakob sighed, frowning. "You came back with a bone sticking out of your arm, for Lord Corrin's sake. Your mother and I were distraught, and Lady Sakura spent the whole night healing you." Jakob chuckled, almost bitterly. "And yet...while your mother and I were worried sick, you had this bright smile on your face, like you weren't even aware you were injured. You were just so happy to have been able to play outside!" Jakob shook his head. "At the time, your mother and I had actually retired from the war for a brief time, we wanted to raise you ourselves. We didn't want you to be placed in some deeprealm, where we wouldn't be able to watch you grow...where you would be lonely."

"Then...I guess after that I was sent back to the deeprealms?" Dwyer guessed, catching on.

Jakob nodded. "Yes, and your mother and I reluctantly returned to our duties in the army." Suddenly, Dwyer realized how tired and worn out his father truly looked as he continued speaking. "The next time we visited you, you weren't our little explorer anymore. You were almost ten years old! And...you changed. You seemed...distant, and your mother and I were worried we had failed as parents. At first we tried to recreate that spark you had lost, but it never returned. It was your mother who suggested I train you in martial arts, and I thought it could help."

"It didn't..."

"You're right," Jakob agreed, "it didn't. I was desperate, I didn't want my son to become apathetic because I couldn't give him the proper care he needed. I look back at all of it now and realize I was just making it worse..." Jakob closed his eyes. "I thought sending you to that village outside the deeprealms would help with your attitude, but I still could not give you the care you needed." Jakob turned to finally look at his son, and Dwyer noticed the tears that were beginning to form...on both of their eyes. "I...I thought I failed you as a father. And then when you fell into the river...I thought I lost you."

"Father..." Dwyer whimpered, surprised by all of this. "You...you did nothing wrong, I realized that awhile ago! I...I should've been a better son instead of trying to one-up you all the time!"

Jakob shook his head and smiled. "Dwyer, despite what you may think, I'm proud to see you become a better butler than me," he admitted. "I just wished I could've done more to help you...and I apologize for how harshly I treated you." Jakob turned away to look back at the fire. "Every time I saw you being your typical oafish self, all I saw was my failure as a parent. A son who would be a constant reminder of how I couldn't even raise my own child..." Jakob rested a hand on Dwyer's shoulder. "Do you know what changed, Dwyer?"

Dwyer shook his head. "What changed?" he asked.

"I saw all the friends you were making," Jakob breathed. "I saw how many lives you were changing for the better. I saw the fine young man you turned out to be, even if your mother and I couldn't raise you properly." He grinned. "But most of all...I saw that spark that was gone for such a long time finally return. I knew right then...my son was back. Our little explorer returned..." Dwyer saw all the tears that were cascading down his father's cheeks, and the young butler noticed that he too was starting to cry.

"Father..." Dwyer whispered. "I...thank you for telling me this..."

"And thank you, Dwyer," Jakob said, "for teaching me that there's more to life than just being a good butler. Perhaps it is time for me strive for new things..."

"Father?"

Jakob stood up and stretched. "We should get some sleep," he suggested. "We have a long day tomorrow, and then we head back to Lord Corrin's castle."

Dwyer bit his lip, then nodded. "Yeah..." he muttered, standing up. "Let's go to bed..."

...

"So it all went well?" Nina asked Dwyer, leaning forward against the dining table.

Dwyer took a bite out of his meal and nodded. "Yes, I'd say so." He shrugged. "We just talked some things out, and I think we bonded more because of that."

The archer grinned and pumped her fist into the air. "Yes!" she cheered. "I told you camping would work! Am I great or am I great?"

Dwyer rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to boost your ego, if that's what you're looking for." he joked, before noticing that Nina's face was red. "Uh...Nina? he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Is everything alright?"

"Of course!" Nina answered a little too quickly. She coughed and glanced away. "It's just, ah..."

Dwyer sighed and shook his head. "Nina, if something's wrong then tell me."

"Well..." Nina coughed again. "Did you and a... _certain someone_...have 'fun' during the camping trip?"

"Um...what?"

"Oh, you know..." Nina made smooching noises and wrapped her arms around herself. Dwyer's mind suddenly drifted to Nah, and he nearly choked on his food.

"H-H-How did you know about that?!" he gasped. "I didn't tell anybody, and no one was around, and-" Dwyer stopped and slammed his palm on the table. "Wait, were you _stalking_ me again?! On a camping trip?!"

"What?!" Nina shouted, catching the attention of some nearby soldiers. "N-No, of course not! It's just, um, uh...Oh my gods, I mean, you and- oh gods!"

Dwyer was in a panic, and he grabbed Nina's hands and pulled her close so that their faces were almost touching. "Nina, _please_ don't tell anyone!" he begged. "I'd rather no one know, okay?"

"Oh, uh...sure!" Nina agreed. "I swear I won't tell another soul!" She scooted away. "But right now I have to, uh...sharpen my bow? Yeah! Sharpen my bow! See you later, Dwyer!" The archer was quick with her escape, well across the field by the time Dwyer realized what was happening.

It was the day after Dwyer and the others had returned from their camping trip, and Nina had showed up with all sorts of questions while Dwyer was just trying to enjoy his dinner. Sighing, Dwyer ran a hand through his blonde hair, wondering how Nina knew about the incident between him and Nah. The young butler wasn't sure how to handle that... A random girl he probably would never meet again had stolen his first kiss! How was he even supposed to deal with that?

"Sooooo..." Soleil's voice suddenly came from behind him. Dwyer felt two arms snake around him in a hug as Soleil rested her chin on his shoulder. "Who's this mystery person you got lucky with?" She grinned. "Was it Caeldori?"

Dwyer frowned and slid out from the mercenary's grasp. "Give me a break," he groaned, "she still hates me, remember?"

"Well I think she needs to let go of whatever accident happen and forgive you," Velouria, who was standing beside Soleil, suggested. "It's not right for her to ignore you like this."

"Thanks, Velouria," said Dwyer as he sat back down. "If only she'd give me the chance to explain myself."

Soleil patted the poor butler's shoulder. "I'm sure she'll come around!" she assured him. "Just give it time, that's all!" The flirt suddenly caught sight of Ophelia and grinned. "In the meantime, I got a date with lady luck!" She gave Dwyer one last pat before she jgged after the young mage. Dwyer stared after her and sighed, before turning back to Velouria.

"So...what now?" he asked.

The wolfskin shrugged. "I...can show you some of my new treasures, if you want?" she suggested, rubbing her arm and glancing down.

Dwyer smiled gently. "Sounds great," he agreed. "Besides, when I was camping I decided to find some treasures to bring back to you...I think I found some good ones."

Velouria perked up, her face bright. "Really?" she gasped, standing up. "You're being serious?!"

Dwyer nodded. "We can go to my room and check them out, if you want."

"I-I would love to!" Velouria beamed, her tail wagging furiously.

Dwyer stood up and held his arm out, and the wolfskin happily looped her own around his. However, before they could get going, someone called out to the butler.

"Dwyer, I wish to congratulate you," the voice said. Dwyer turned his head and saw Lord Xander approaching. "I heard the great news," the prince said, nodding.

Dwyer froze when he realized the high prince of Nohr speaking to him. Oh, gods, why didn't he comb his hair this morning?! Did he brush his teeth? Were his clothes straight? Was he slouching? Oh gods he was actually slouching in front of Prince Xander!

Dwyer straightened his back. "Um...thanks?" he replied. "Though, in all due respect Lord Xander, I'm not sure what you're referring to."

Lord Xander frowned. "You mean you haven't heard?" he asked.

"Heard what?" Dwyer wondered.

Lord Xander folded his arms behind his back. "I don't think it is my place to tell you," he answered. "Why don't you go speak to Corrin? He should be in his quarters, he'll be more than happy to have you." The high prince turned to Velouria and gave a gentle nod. "Ma'am." he greeted, before turning around and walking away.

"You don't know what he's talking about?" Velouria asked, turning to her friend.

Dwyer shook his head. "No, I never received any news of this..." He sighed and shrugged. "Guess I should go see Lord Corrin, then..."

"Oh...yeah..." Velouria glanced down, her ears drooping. "I'll see you later, I guess..."

Dwyer shook his head. "Do you want to come with me?" he offered. "Whatever this news is, it might be best if I had someone with me." That, and he had seen how much Velouria's tail wagged when he said he'd spend time with her. He would just feel guilty if he backed out.

Velouria glanced up, and her tail began wagging slowly. "Of course!" she accepted, smiling once more.

The two teenagers headed off towards Lord Corrin's tree house, stopping at the ladder leading up to the entrance. Velouria leaned her head against Dwyer's shoulder. "I know it's off topic, but I feel like I should say thanks."

Dwyer raised an eyebrow. "For?"

Velouria closed her eyes and smiled. "Ever since you and Selkie helped me find treasure during your first day here, I've been more comfortable...expressing my interests with others. I even got Lord Corrin to appreciate my treasures..."

"That's quite the feat," Dwyer praised. "Though I'm not sure what you're thanking me for... All of that was your own doing, Velouria. Selkie and I had nothing to do with it."

Velouria hummed. "Maybe," she said, "or maybe not."

Dwyer chuckled and gestured to the ladder. "After you."

Velouria smiled and began climbing the ladder, Dwyer following soon after. The young butler realized how much he missed these simple exchanges between him and the wolfskin above him. He began noticing how they haven't been spending much time together lately during the camping trip, which is what sparked him to collect 'treasure' for her.

She really was someone he enjoyed spending time with, he felt like he could afford to relax around her. Next to Ophelia and Asugi, she was probably one of his closest friends. Dwyer glanced up and smirked when he saw the wolfskin's tail still wagging. It was weird...something about either Velouria's or Selkie's tail wagging really made him feel good inside, like he was actually helping in some way.

The two reached the top and stood in front of the door, before Dwyer took a deep breath and knocked. "Come in!" Lord Corrin's voice greeted from inside. Dwyer opened the door and allowed Velouria to enter before following, closing the door behind him.

It was then that the butler realized he had never actually been inside the young prince's room, and he drank it all in. It wasn't what one would expect from a royal, but its casual atmosphere made Dwyer feel welcome, and he realized just why everyone enjoyed visiting here. When he stopped enjoying the scenery and turned to face Lord Corrin, he was surprised to see his parents there as well, along with Corrin's wife, Anna.

"Dwyer!" Lord Corrin greeted warmly. "I'm so happy you could make it, your parents and I were just talking about you!" The dragonic prince turned to Velouria, and he smiled gently. "And it's always a pleasure to see you, Velouria."

The wolfskin blushed and murmured her thanks.

"Thank you for having us, Lord Corrin," Dwyer said, bowing. He looked up at his parents. "Though I would like to figure out why Lord Xander was congratulating me about a...promotion..."

"Oh, that!" Lord Corrin stood up, as did Jakob. "Well, I heard you like things to the point, Dwyer, so here goes..." He took a breath and exhaled. "Your father and I discussed this since your return, and we've decided to make you head of staff!"

...

...

Dwyer and Velouria's mouths fell open. "WHAT?!"

...

 **Second chapter, done! Once again, I'd like to apologize for any discomfort the first third of the chapter may have caused...**

 **Don;t forget to review! And remember, stay wykkyd! Third chapter immediately after this one!**


	19. A Shocker on Shock Street

**Third chapter, woop woop! Just steamrolling through this like a guy on drugs! (Note: I am NOT on drugs!)**

 **No use in this author's note, just enjoy the chapter!**

 **...**

"WHAT?!"

Dwyer shook his head and turned to Jakob. "But, Father...I thought _you_ were head of staff!"

Jakob smiled. "I was, but our talk at the campfire got me thinking," he said, "and I've decided that I would like to retire." His smile disappeared. "Your mother and I will be leaving the army and moving to the village where you were staying."

"I-I..." Dwyer was at a complete loss.

"Aw, he's so cute when he's confused!" Anna teased from the back.

"But...But WHY?!" Dwyer demanded.

"I told you, didn't I?" Jakob reminded his son. "It's about time I started living more than just simply a butler, as hard as it was to admit it. For so long I have been a loyal servant, and while I don't regret it, I realize there are more important things in life." He wrapped his arm around Charlotte's waist. "I have a wife I need to start thinking more about, and I'm afraid that with my current position, I cannot spend enough time with her." Jakob smiled at his son. "And then there's you. You've grown a lot, Dwyer. You don't need me anymore, you'll be fine on your own. You have your explorer spark back, I know you'll do great."

"Are you kidding?!" Dwyer hissed.

"Oh honey," Charlotte cooed, stepping forward and running a hand through her son's hair. "All birds have to leave the nest, you know. You're an adult now." She pointed at Velouria, who was awkwardly shuffling her feet. "And your friends will be there to help you every step along the way!" She chuckled. "Besides, it's not like your father and I are leaving forever. You know where the village is, you can visit whenever you like!"

"I-" Dwyer was about to protest, but he saw his mother's point and nodded. "I understand..." He looked up at Lord Corrin. "But why me? Surely there are others who are more qualified than me?"

'I don't even get paid,' Dwyer thought.

"Flora and Gunter had their own reasons for turning down the position," Lord Corrin explained. "And Felicia...well..."

"Felicia's special," Anna finished with a wink.

Dwyer staggered a bit, and Velouria, thinking quickly, grabbed a chair for him. The butler nodded his thanks and sat down. "This is...a lot to take in..." he admitted.

"You shouldn't be too surprised!" Anna exclaimed. "Most of your friends will be beginning their training as retainers soon, this is actually pretty convenient timing!"

"Er...right," Lord Corrin agreed. "Members of the royal family get two retainers, as you may know. I was thinking about naming you as one of Kana's, but due to your lack of...combat prowess, I instead chose Sophie and Midori. You'll be working directly for me, though."

"I...I..."

"You don't need to feel pressured, son," Jakob assured. "Your mother and I won't be leaving immediately, it'll be about a month or so. Until then, the other servants and I will give you all the training you need to be prepared for the role."

"..." Dwyer remained silent, his eyes fixed to the ground. Charlotte exchanged a look with the others, before kneeling down in front of her son.

"Sweetie, I know you must be feeling pretty shocked right now," she said. "Why don't you go sleep on it?"

"Yes, get some rest and a couple of days to think," Lord Corrin suggested. "We can talk more about it later."

Dwyer wordlessly nodded and headed for the door, exiting and leaving everyone in an awkward atmosphere. Charlotte turned to Velouria and smiled. "Velouria, was it? Will you go make sure he's alright?"

"O-Of course!" Velouria stuttered, standing up straight. "Though, if I may ask...do you think he's ready for this?"

"As long as he has his friends around to guide him, he's more than ready," Jakob stated.

Velouria nodded, smiling a little. "Then I'll be there to support him!" she promised, before exiting as well.

It was silent for a few more moments, before Anna decided to break that silence. "Okay, but for real? I ship it so hard."

...

Dwyer was laying flat on his bed, eyes trained on the ceiling. He could not believe it...Him? Head of staff?! Ordering around Felicia and Flora?! Having casual conversations with old man Gunter?! Naps without being yelled at by his father?!

Dwyer groaned and ran a hand through his hair...too much, this was too much! He just gets back from bonding with his father and finally making peace with him, only to learn that the old fart was leaving?! With his mother, too? Dwyer shook his head. This was insane! How could they do this?! How could they force this role upon him so suddenly?! Did they seriously think he was ready? As if! He was the exact _opposite_ of ready!

"Damn this..." he growled underneath his breath. "Damn all of this..."

He couldn't believe this...Why? Why were they so sure this was the right decision? Didn't they stop to consider how _he_ felt about this?! Because if they did, they would realize how against the idea he was! "I...I don't understand!" he hissed. "Is this their idea of a joke? Because I am not laughing!"

"Dwyer..?"

Dwyer glanced up at his window, and he saw Velouria peeking through it, a look of concern on her face. The butler sighed and glanced away. "Hey, Velouria," he greeted. "Sorry for bailing on you."

"It's alright," Velouria assured, before smiling gently. "Do you mind letting me in?"

Dwyer nodded his head towards the door. "It's unlocked."

Velouria nodded and disappeared from view, the door opening a few seconds later. Velouria stepped inside and gently closed the door behind her, before grabbing a chair and setting it beside Dwyer's bed, leaning against it. "I guess you're not taking it too well?" the wolfskin asked, one of her ears flicking.

The butler scoffed and shook his head. "That's...putting it lightly," he admitted. "To be honest, I'm not sure what to think...I know the position is a great one, but..."

"You're not sure you're ready for it?" Velouria guessed.

"I'm not sure why they even gave it to me at all!" Dwyer barked, causing his wolfskin friend to wince. He calmed down immediately and sighed. "Sorry, I don't mean to take it out on you, Velouria...I know you're just trying to help, thanks."

"You don't have to apologize, Dwyer," Velouria told him, shaking her head. "To be honest, I'm a little against it as well, but I think I see why they would choose you." She tilted her head. "Actually, I think a lot of us have seen it for awhile...except you."

Dwyer raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

Velouria smiled and reached down, lightly petting her crush's head. "Silly Dwyer," she teased. "Do you even know how much you've helped me? Helped Selkie? Helped Ophelia or helped Kana? Don't you remember helping Sophie bond with Avel? Don't you remember throwing that party for Nina? Don't you remember rushing to Midori's aid when her herbs were stolen without a second thought?"

"I...I don't see where this is going," Dwyer admitted.

Velouria frowned and flicked the butler's nose. "Idiot, can't you see?" she growled. "They wanted you in that position because of all those things! Your father mentioned something about you having your spark back, yeah? Well there's your reason! You have that spark because of all the help you've given us! It's who you are, Dwyer... You're kind, caring, you're always willing to help out a friend in need...it's why I love you, why we ALL love you."

Dwyer looked away. "So that's it?" he asked. "I get the position because I care too much?"

Velouria rolled her eyes. "You're saying that like it's a bad thing, dummy."

"Soleil mentioned that I should start taking care of myself more than others."

"And she's right!" Velouria exclaimed. "But that doesn't mean you shouldn't still care about others. We just want what's best for you too, Dwyer!" She smiled sadly. "And yet that seems to be the only thing you can't get through that thick head of hair of yours. You're so caught up in helping others that you forget to slow down a little." She paused for a few seconds. "You know...your father said that you'll be ready...when all of your friends are with you." She reached down and grabbed his hand, squeezing it. "Well, _I'm_ with you! And so is everyone else! You're already ready for the job Dwyer because your friends are here to back you up all the way! Yeah, it sucks that your parents won't be there, but I think they decided to go away because of how much you've grown. Like it or not, you don't need them anymore because they know you have us! You have me!" She held his hand up and rubbed her cheek against it. "You never let us down, so we won't let you down..."

"..." Dwyer's eyes were closed.

Velouria narrowed her eyes, thinking that the butler might be asleep. "Dwyer?" she asked, poking his cheek.

"I think..." Dwyer began, eyes still closed.

The wolfskin perked up. "Yes, Dwyer?"

Dwyer opened his eyes and smirked, turning to face his friend. "I think I owe you the biggest batch of cookies I can make for giving that speech," he told her.

Velouria giggled and squeezed his hand again. "I think that can wait til the morning."

"Do you want to see those treasures I brought you, then?"

Velouria opened her mouth to say yes, but then after a few thoughts she closed it and shook her head. "That can wait til the morning too," she said, ignoring Dwyer's brief shock. She held the butler's hand up again, but this time placed it behind her ear. "But for now, I just wanna stay like this..."

Dwyer rolled his eyes but complied, gently beginning to scratch behind the wolfskin's ear. He noticed her tail wagging and held in a laugh. Somehow, the sight never failed to amuse him. He noticed how Velouria was trying to nudge her head further into his hand, and this time the butler couldn't help but let out a chuckle. Velouria flicked one of her ears in annoyance, but otherwise did not react.

She was right, as was Soleil. He did need to start caring more for himself, yeah, but he shouldn't let that get in the way of doing what he does best. He realized that now... He glanced at Velouria and smiled. This...helping his friends, it's what made him happiest. He once believed that he could do everything on his own, that he was simply everyone's therapist and he could do that job without a hitch.

He was wrong. It was never him helping out everyone else. Velouria, Ophelia, Asugi, Kana, Midori, Selkie, Mitama, Nina, Caeldori, Sophie, Soleil, Rhajat... They were helping _him_ out.

He never would've gotten as far as he did without them.

He would start putting some more time in for himself, he decided. And all of his friends...

...they would be right there, waiting to support him.

It was then that he heard light snoring, and when he glanced back at Velouria he saw she had fallen asleep...on his chair. Dwyer glanced at his window, wondering if he could carry her back to her tent...he decided against it, realizing how far away it was.

Hey, some things never change.

Dwyer pulled his hand away from the wolfskin, who whined in her sleep just a little. Dwyer rolled his eyes and stood up. "The things I do for you guys," he muttered, shaking his head. Gently, he lifted the girl up in his arms, surprised by how light she was. Effortlessly, he placed her down on his bed, drawing the covers over her. Velouria stopped her whining and settled down, pulling the blanket over her more as a smile settled across her face. Once she was tucked in, Dwyer nodded in satisfaction before leaving the room, breathing in the cool, nighttime air. Even though it was the middle of winter outside the astral plane, here the night was always that of a midsummer. A perfect temperature.

Dwyer walked until he was in front of the ladder of Lord Corrin's quarters. After making the effort to climb up, he knocked on the door and waited. A few moments passed, and then he heard some shuffling from inside. The door opened and Lord Corrin greeted him...in his boxers and nothing else. "Oh, Dwyer!" Lord Corrin smiled. "What brings you here?"

Dwyer took a deep breath. "Lord Corrin, I've come to tell you that I will happily accept the role as head of staff."

Lord Corrin blinked a few times before he started grinning. "Y-You mean it? Dwyer, that's great!" He stopped his miniature celebration and tilted his head. "What made you decide so quickly?"

Dwyer shrugged and gave a half smile. "I had a good friend." he answered simply.

Lord Corrin gave a knowing look and nodded. "Velouria sure is something, isn't she?"

Dwyer shrugged again. "That's one way of putting it."

The dragonic prince laughed and patted the young butler's shoulder. "It sure is, Dwyer," he said. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Lord Corrin."

Corrin closed the door and sighed, before crawling back into his bed, where his wife immediately wrapped herself around him.

"It's totally canon."

"What does that even mean, Anna?"

"What do you even mean?"

"Ugh...just...just go to sleep..."

"Papa?"

"...yes, Kana?"

"I ship you and Mama!"

"That's my girl, sweetie!"

"Anna, please don't encourage her..."

...

When Velouria woke up the next morning, she was surprised to find that she wasn't in her tent. She sniffed a few times, and noted that the blankets smelled like Dwyer. Velouria looked around and realized she was in Dwyer's room...she must've fallen asleep. Dwyer must've put her in his bed for the night. 'That's totally like him,' she thought. She took an extra long whiff of the Dwyer-scented blanket, before sitting up and stretching. She yawned and glanced out the window, noting that it was early morning due to the pink sky.

'I guess I should get up,' she decided, standing up and stretching once more. It was then that she noticed that Dwyer was not present in the room, and immediately she figured he was at the mess hall, probably cooking or something. Figuring that was her best lead, she stepped out of the butler's room and began heading towards that area. Humming a tune to herself, she flashbacked to the way Dwyer scratched her ears, and a faint blush formed on her face. She shook those thoughts from her head. 'There was nothing special about it,' she told herself.

Well, at least not for Dwyer. What Velouria didn't tell Dwyer was that the only time a wolfskin, or kitsune for that matter, allowed someone to touch their ears or tail was when...

Velouria smacked her cheeks a few times and growled. 'It was your damn fault for not letting him know, he thinks it's just a friendly gesture!'

"Velouria~" The wolfskin looked up and saw Soleil skipping towards her, a big grin on her face. "C'mon, I heard Dwyer's cooking breakfast today!" Without waiting for a response, Soleil grabbed the wolfskin's sleeve and began leading her towards the mess hall.

"Dammit, Soleil-"

"SO, where were you last night?" Soleil asked. "Last time I saw you, you were with Dwyer, and-" Soleil paused, and then slowly turned to face her friend. "Oh. My. Gods."

Velouria blushed and looked away. "He just let me stay in his bed, that's all!" she hissed.

"FFFFTTTTTT..." Soleil bit her lip to keep from laughing, but ultimately failed. "OH! MY! GODS!" she roared, falling to the floor and clutching her stomach. "You-You're totally crushing on him, ain't ya? GODS! You too?" Soleil wiped a tear from her eye and shook her head. "First Ophelia and now you. Gosh, is that guy destined to steal all of my potential love interests?"

Velouria turned beet red. "Your potential...what?!" She shook her head. "Whatever, besides, what's the deal with liking Dwyer, anyway?" She crossed her arms. "He's not the worst guy to be crushing on."

"Oh, I agree, Velour!" Soleil exclaimed, standing up and brushing herself off. "In fact, I'm not surprised! _Everyone_ loves a butler!"

Velouria narrowed her eyes. "What are you talking about?"

Soleil smirked and jerked her thumb at Selkie, who was passing by towards the distance. "Exhibit A," she said before turning towards the Hoshidan. "Hey, Selkie!" she called, gaining the kitsune's attention. "Do you have a crush on Dwyer?"

"YUP!" Selkie announced confidently, before going back to her business like nothing happened.

"S-So Selkie likes Dwyer, big deal-"

"Exhibit B!" Soleil cried, jutting her finger towards Sophie. "Sophie, do you have a crush on Dwyer?"

The cavalier lightly blushed and shrugged. "Maybe a small one..." she admitted.

"A small one, she said-"

"And finally, Exhibit C!" Soleil turned to Mitama. "Mitama, do you have a crush on-"

"Finish that sentence and I'll kick your teeth in," Mitama snarled, storming away from the two.

Soleil winced before turning back to her wolfskin friend. "What I'm trying to say is that you might have some competition if you're pegging after the guy," she said.

Velouria rolled her eyes and scoffed. "So what if I'm not the only girl who's crushing on him?" she asked. "I'm not even surprised! And besides, just because any of us have feelings for him doesn't mean he has to return them! He's a person, not a piece of meat!"

Soleil shrugged. "I'm just giving you the facts, Velouria..."

Velouria scowled. "Okay, what about you?" she challenged. "Do YOU have a crush on Dwyer?"

Soleil smirked and shook her head. "Don't get me wrong, he's a great guy," she said, "just not really what I'm after, y'know?"

Velouria sighed and shrugged. "Fair enough, I suppose..." she grumbled.

Soleil grinned pervertedly. "Soooo..." she began. "Did he touch your ears?"

"T-THAT IS A VERY PERSONAL QUESTION, SOLEIL!"

And then they heard the roars.

...

"You know, I do agree with what she said, Dwyer," Ophelia chirped as she stared at the cookies baking in the oven.

"I know, Ophelia," Dwyer grunted as he sweated over cooking the army's breakfast. "Trust me, I'm going to follow her advice..."

Ophelia smiled and stood up. "I do believe that head of staff is a huge honor for a butler, Dwyer," she admitted. "But as a fellow chosen one, I am not the least bit surprised by this outcome."

Dwyer raised an eyebrow. "Right..."

Ophelia frowned and shook her head. "You really do need to work on your imagination, though..."

Dwyer rolled his eyes. "I made you tea," he pointed out. "Isn't that enough?"

Ophelia scoffed and took a sip from the cup in her hand. "Yet you give it such a boring name..."

"How many times must we go over this? Tea is tea, Ophelia."

"That's not-" Ophelia paused when she saw the blank stare the butler was giving. Sighing, she put her cup down and threw her hands in the air. "Fine, tea is tea! I'll say it again, tea is tea!"

Dwyer grinned and went back to his work. "That's better..." He pointed towards the patch of cookies. "Would you take those out for me? They should be done..."

Ophelia nodded and put on the oven mittens, reaching down and pulling out the freshly baked cookies. "These are for Velouria, correct?" she asked, setting them down.

Dwyer nodded. "I promised her I'd make her some," he explained.

Ophelia smiled. 'Gods, he's so cool!' she internally fangirled. Then, she sighed and sat down, wringing her fingers together. She looked down at them, then glanced back up at the butler. "Um, Dwyer..."

" **ROOOOAAARRRRRR!"**

Both teens jumped high into the air, turning to face each other. "Please tell me that was your stomach," Dwyer deadpanned.

Ophelia shook her head, right as another roar sounded off, this one lough enough to cause the entire kitchen to shake. "Gods, what is that?!" Ophelia yelled over the noise. She saw Dwyer throw ope the kitchen door and rush outside, and she soon followed.

The two glanced up at the sky and gasped. Circling the air was a giant worm-like creature, with hideous wings growing out of its back. The monster let out another roar that deafened the two teenagers, before it flew off towards the horizon.

"Wait, come back!" The two turned around to see Odin Dark running towards them. He stopped beside them and began panting. He looked towards the direction the monster headed and shook his head. "Dammit..." he cursed. "It got away..."

"Father?" Ophelia squeaked. "What...what was that thing?!"

Odin stood up straight and rubbed the back of his neck, looking around as the whole army began to file outside. Finally he sighed and glanced back towards the direction the monster had disappeared to. "That, dear daughter..." he began. "Was a silkwyrm."

...

 **Anyone who has seen Odin and Kagero's support knows what a silkwyrm is XD Fun fact, I came up with the idea of the silkwyrm before most of the actual story, to be honest...ALSO! I have gotten a few requests from some Dwyer x Velouria shippers to add some more moments between the two in the story. And since there was so many of them (and it's one of my ships), how could I possibly refuse? So there, there's your fanservice, you dorks! Don't think this means that Dwyer and Velouria are the destined ship of this fic, there are still PLENTY of girl's I'm struggling over.**

 **Actually, leave in the reviews who you think Dwyer should be paired with and WHY! And remember, stay wykkyd!**


	20. The Fellowship of the Silkwyrm

**I think my new gig for this story is that I'll be uploading two or three chapters every day/every other day. Just seems like a good way to keep myself distracted from my problems XD So without further ado, enjoy the chapter, everyone!**

 **...**

"You idiot!" Lord Leo raged, gripping his tome much tighter than he probably should have. "What on earth was going through your head?!"

Odin winced and scratched the back of his head. "I...I didn't think it would actually _work..._ " he muttered.

Lord Leo sighed and shook his head. "Well, it did," he hissed, "and now we have a monster running amok. What if it finds a portal leading out of the astral plain, Odin?"

"Then...we stop it?"

As the adults bickered over what to do about the silkwyrm, all Dwyer could do was listen in as he laid down on the soft grass. He closed his eyes and tried to mentally drown out the huge debate going on, but to no avail. He heard someone lay down beside him, soon followed by, "Hey, Dwyer?"

Dwyer cracked one of his eyes open. "Yes, Ophelia?"

"What are we going to do?" the dark mage asked the butler.

Dwyer shrugged. "I guess all we can do is wait for the adults to come to a conclusion about what to do," he answered. "They will probably send out a search party and a couple of archers, it's a pretty big target. I don't see how you can miss it."

"I suppose..." Ophelia sat up and drew her knees to her chin. "I don't like the way they're scolding Father," she growled. "He was only trying to help Miss KAgero, and they're giving him hell for it!"

Dwyer shrugged again. "Well...he did unleash a giant fire-breathing dragon thing," he pointed out. "I don't think that's going to win him any popularity points."

Ophelia threw a clump of dirt at the butler, but he ignored it. The dark mage laid back down and shook her head. "At this rate, the silkwyrm will have reached a portal by now, what is taking so long for them to do something?!"

Dwyer opened his eyes and turned to face Ophelia. "You know how Lord Leo can be," he reminded her. "Everything has to go according to plan, and a good plan can take awhile to form..."

"Well, I'm not going to just sit here and let them insult my father's heroism!" Ophelia hissed, standing up.

Dwyer frowned. "Um, Ophelia...why do I have a bad feeling about this?"

Ophelia held out her hand in offering to help Dwyer stand. The sleepy butler stared at it blankly before Ophelia rolled her eyes and forcibly dragged him up. She then grinned and began leading him away from the large group until they found an isolated spot behind a wall. Ophelia took a depp breath and placed her fists on her hips. "I propose that you and I, Dwyer, track down and vanquish this silkwyrm ourselves!" the dark mage announced, beaming.

To tell the truth, Dwyer couldn't bring himself to be surprised. _Of course_ Ophelia would come up with that and believe it to be a sensible plan. Hell, most of his friends would probably jump at the chance to kill a dragon too. But Dwyer? He liked to believe he had common sense. The butler shook his head. "Nope," he said. "That's an absolutely terrible idea."

Ophelia's face fell. "But Dwyer..." she whined. "We're chosen ones! It is our sworn duty to protect the people from the darkness that beckons us all!"

"Our sworn duty?" Dwyer rolled his eyes. "Ophelia, listen! I don't like playing this card, but I have to remind you that we're still kids! There's no way the two of us could take down one of those things!"

Ophelia sighed and nodded sadly. "...yeah, you're right..." she muttered after a few moments.

The butler nodded in satisfaction. "Good, so now we can-"

"Which is why we should bring our friends along too!"

Dwyer's mouth fell open. "Wait, what?!"

Ophelia grinned smugly and promptly ignored the sleepy butler. "Hmm..." she hummed, turning away. "Kiragi and Nina should come along, they're our best archers...Mitama and Dwyer for healing...me for moral support..."

"You know," Dwyer interrupted. "Shockingly, you acting solely as moral support doesn't fill me with confidence..."

Ophelia waved her hand dismissively. "Oh!" she gasped. "Percy and Caeldori's mounts would be good for aerial combat!" She bit her lip and looked towards the sky. "Aaaaand...Velouria and Selkie for tracking! THERE!" She pumped her fist into the air. "I've assembled a team, let's go gather them! Oh, we shall all be praised as heroes soon enough. Bards will sing of our victory, astronomers will look to the stars for us!" She pointed at Dwyer, smiling coyly. "And perhaps you, young Dwyer, will be able to reach out and steal the heart of a fair maiden!"

"Why would I want to steal a heart?" he deadpanned. "It would just be very messy, not to mention a little gruesome."

"Dwyer!" Ophelia groaned. "Just please help me out, okay?" She shyly glanced away and clasped her hands together, blushing. "I...I wouldn't trust anyone else to do this with me..."

Dwyer frowned and glanced behind him, wondering if he could make a run for it. No...that would be too much effort. Soleil's brief mention of Ophelia's crush on him passed through his mind, but he quickly shook it away. Soleil was just messing with him...like always. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, already knowing he was going to regret this decision. "Fine, it's not like I can make my own decisions anymore..." he grumbled. "Just stop posing like that, you look ridiculous."

Ophelia grinned and nodded, perking up immediately. "Thanks, Dwyer!" she cheered. "Now...we just need to get everyone on board."

Dwyer leaned against the wall. "Some will be easier to convince than others." he pointed out, and the dark mage nodded in agreement.

"Well, we can split the list," Ophelia suggested. "I can convince most of them, but you, Dwyer..." She paused to think, before smirking. "I think you should go speak with Caeldori and make sure she's in!"

Dwyer stiffened at the mention of the crimson beauty, and he tugged at his collar anxiously. "A-Are you sure?" he asked, coughing. "She and I still aren't on the best terms..."

"Oh, I know!" Ophelia chuckled. "But it's about time you two started being friends again!" She patted Dwyer's shoulder. "Remember what Velouria told you last night?" she asked him, voice gentler. "Your friends are here for you, Dwyer. I'm just trying to give you a little push in the right direction."

"But..." Dwyer trailed off when he realized he did not have an excuse. He groaned and ran a hand through his blonde hair. "Fine...I'll go talk to her." he mumbled.

Ophelia giggled. "Good Dwyer," she praised, giving her friend a pat on the head. She pointed towards the collection of tents that served as the children's housing. "Well, go get her!" she urged. "I'm going to the mess hall and having a word with Velouria." She winked, "I'll also make sure she gets those cookies you baked for her."

Dwyer smiled softly and nodded, before turning around and heading off towards the tents. Ophelia stared after him, before her eyes cast themselves downward. "A fair maiden's heart..." she whispered to herself, placing her hand on her chest. "Oh, Dwyer..."

As Dwyer approached the tents, he felt his anxiety grow. After the bathhouse incident, he didn't dare walk within a hundred feet of Caeldori, fearing what may happen if he did otherwise. He was beginning to regret agreeing to do this, but before he could make the decision to turn around he realized he was standing right in front of the crimson beauty's tent. Taking a deep breath, Dwyer knelt down and called out, "Caeldori, are you in there?"

He heard something move inside the tent, and a few moments later Caeldori poked her head out of the tent. The two held eye contact for several moments before the pegasus knight's eyes widened. "EEP!" she yelped before ducking back inside her tent. "Go away!"

Dwyer frowned and sat down. "Caeldori, I'm not leaving," he said. "Listen, first of all...I'm sorry. That thing that, uh...touched you...wasn't me. And that bathhouse incident? I wasn't trying to do anything, I didn't know you were in there."

"..." Caeldori slowly poked her head out again, her cheeks bright red. She sighed and opened the tent completely, gesturing for Dwyer to step inside. The butler coughed and nodded, slipping off his boots and crawling in. When he sat down, Caeldori sat across from him on her knees. "I'm, uh...I'm sorry too," she started, not meeting the butler's eyes. "I know that the thing that groped me wasn't you, Rhajat told me before she left. A-And I know you didn't mean to see me in the bathhouse either, that's why I decided to fold your clothes for you."

Dwyer blinked. "But...if you knew all that, why were you avoiding me?" he wondered.

Caeldori was looking at everything except Dwyer, her face even more flushed. "T-That...That's something I don't think you need to know," she muttered.

Dwyer frowned and shook his head. "Caeldori, we're friends," he told her. "If there's something on your mind, you can tell me. That's what I'm around for."

"I know..." Caeldori murmured, before taking a breath. She finally managed to look into Dwyer's eyes. "Dwyer, the reason I've been avoiding you is because...I...I..." She coughed. "You see, when that whole puppet thing happened, I..uh..." She closed her eyes. "E-En..." She shook her head. "You know what, never mind."

Dwyer raised an eyebrow, curious about what she was going to say. But he decided that if Caeldori wasn't comfortable, he shouldn't press it. "Well, that's alright," he said. "I wouldn't want you to be placed in a situation you don't want to be in."

"I..." Caeldori sighed, before nodding and allowing a small smile to appear. "Thank you."

It was silent for a few moments, before Dwyer cleared his throat. "Actually, the reason I'm here-"

"OH!" Caeldori gasped, scooting over. "Here, why don't you sit next to me?" She patted the spot beside her, and Dwyer stared at it blankly.

What was with her? Dwyer knew the girl could be a little weird sometimes, but not like this...He shrugged and decided to entertain her for a little longer. He sat down beside her and turned to face her, and saw she was smiling gently.

"Er...you know, Dwyer..." She began, and the butler noticed she placed her hand on his shoulder. "I do miss our visits together." She moved her hand and patted his back, much to Dwyer's confusion. "In fact..." She brushed her hand against his knee. "Why don't" *pat* "you and I" *pat* "go get tea sometime?" *pat* *pat* *pat*

"Sounds great," Dwyer agreed. "But...Caeldori?"

The crimson beauty tilted her head. "Yes Dwyer?"

"Are you...trying to pickpocket me?"

"What?" Caeldori stiffened. "No, of course not! It was just that the book said..."

Dwyer raised an eyebrow. "The...book?" He leaned to the side to glance behind Caeldori, and he saw that there was indeed a book. He narrowed his eyes as he read the cover out loud. "How To Win A Man's Heart In-"

Caledori quickly snatched the book and stuffed it underneath her pillows. "Ahaha...that's not important," she told the completely confused butler. She coughed and twiddled her thumbs. "Anyway, what was it you were here for?"

"Oh!" Dwyer straightened up. "Ophelia is planning on leading a party against the silkwyrm Mister Odin let loose." he explained. "And she sent me to ask if you would like to join. Something about aerial combat..."

"Silkwyrm?" Caeldori repeated. "Is that what they're calling it?" She sighed. "Well...honestly Percy is probably the better choice for aerial combat, as painful as it is to say so." She narrowed her eyes. "Just another thing I have to work on..."

Dwyer frowned as he remembered just how sensitive the girl was about being the best. He reached out towards her. "Caeldori..."

"Actually!" she suddenly cried, startling the butler. "A battle against a silkwyrm _would_ be good experience for me!" She turned to Dwyer and grinned determinedly. "Dwyer, I will accept your offer."

Dwyer smiled and let out a sigh of relief. "That's good..." He crawled over and opened the tent, holding it open for the pegasus knight. "Well, we should get going then," he said. Caeldori nodded and crawled out, slipping on her boots. Dwyer followed soon after, and the two made their way back to where Dwyer had met with Ophelia.

Ophelia had done a good job gathering the others, as the entire group was waiting for them. Selkie gave a cheerful wave, which Dwyer gladly returned. Actually, now that he thought about it, he hadn't been spending too much time with Selkie lately either. The butler made a mental note to make an opening in his schedule for the kitsune.

"Oh good, everyone's here!" Ophelia cheered, stepping on top of a rock to make herself look taller. "Okay, now gather around, everyone! Today, we shall go forth and vanquish the abomination that has been unleashed! We will be forever celebrated as heroes!"

"AYYUP!" Percy hollered.

Ophelia grinned and gave the wyvern rider a thumbs up before clearing her throat. "Bards will sing of our victory! Astronomers..!"

Dwyer tuned the dark mage out, not wanting to listen to the same exact speech as last time. He peeked around the wall and noticed that the adults were still bickering, but they seemed to be nearing a conclusion. Dwyer narrowed his eyes, and he secretly urged Ophelia to hurry up if she didn't want to miss her chance to shine.

Ophelia looked at Dwyer and seemed to catch the hidden meaning, because she stopped her rousing speech abruptly. "A-Anyway, let's go slay a silkwyrm!" she cried, and the whole group, much to Dwyer's surprise and slight annoyance, cheered. Dwyer sighed and sluggishly raised his fist in rally, and the collected children quickly headed towards one of the castle's exits. As they went, Velouria slowed her pace until she was right next to Dwyer, who was bringing up the group's rear.

"Hey..." She smiled and lightly punched his arm. "Thank you for the cookies."

Dwyer returned the smile. "The only thanks I need is that waggity tail of yours," he replied.

The wolfskin lightly blushed, but both of them were well aware of how her tail was beginning to wag.

Then suddenly... "WAIT FOR MEEEEEEEE!"

Everyone turned around to see Kana sprinting towards them adorably, clutching her beloved dragonstone in her hands. She waved at them and cried out, "I wanna come too!"

"Uh, Kana..." Dwyer began once Lord Corrin's daughter finally caught up to them. "I'm not sure it's a good idea you should come..."

"Yeah!" Percy agreed. "Wouldn't want a damsel in distress like you getting hurt, right?"

Kana puffed out her cheeks and stamped her foot. "I am _not_ a damsel in distress!" she pouted. "I can turn into a dragon! I have a better chance against that thing than any one of you!"

Mitama shrugged. "She has a point," she said.

Percy frowned. "Yeah, but-"

"She can come!" Ophelia decided. "The more the merrier!"

Kana cheered and happily skipped ahead of the group. The older teens all shrugged and followed after her. As soon as they left the castle, Percy and Caeldori called for their mounts. The dragon and pegasus landed a few seconds later, and the two hopped on and took to the skies. Selkie used her beaststone to transform into her beast form, and began sniffing the air.

 _"It, uh...It went that way!"_ the kitsune said, pointing one of her paws towards east. She then bolted, constantly sniffing the air for the creature's scent. The others followed as fast as they can, though Dwyer was having a little trouble keeping up.

"I...hate...running!" he panted, stumbling a little. He noticed Velouria give him a look of concern, and even though the thought of letting the wolfskin carry him was tempting, he waved her away.

Caeldori then swooped down and announced, "Percy and I can't spot it in the sky!"

Suddenly, Selkie skidded to a halt and looked around in confusion. She turned back to her humanoid form and scratched one of her ears. "That's funny," she said. "The trail ends here..."

Kiragi glanced to the side and gulped. "Uh...Selkie?" he squeaked. "You might wanna turn around..."

Everyone did, and froze. "Oh..." Ophelia mumbled. "That's...that's not good."

"You think?" Mitama hissed.

"Are...Are we too late?" Kana whimpered.

"I sure hope not..." Nina answered.

'Ah, shit...' Dwyer mentally cursed.

The silkwyrm had found the portal leading outside the astral plane.

...

 **And that's a wrap! Don't forget to review! And remember, stay wykkyd!**


	21. The Butler: Desolation of Silkwyrm

**Work is hell. That's all.**

 **Enjoy the chapter!**

 **...**

When the children rushed through the portal, they could hear the silkwyrm's roars in the distance. Selkie's ears perked up and she sniffed the air a few times. "I smell man," she told the others, a rare frown forming. "There's a village not too far from here!"

That was all Percy needed to hear. "C'mon, Ace!" he cried out, his dragon letting out a roar as it soared off to help the villagers. After a few brief moments of hesitation, Caeldori followed with her pegasus. The other children all shared a look, before Selkie transformed into her true form and led them towards the village. Dwyer internally groaned as he was forced to pick up speed again, his lungs having still not fully recovered from last time. He heard the familiar sound of transformation, and soon he was being lifted up and placed on a gentle giant's back.

The butler rolled his eyes and frowned. "I don't need help, Velouria..." he protested lamely.

The huge beast growled. _"Uh-huh, keep telling yourself that."_

Dwyer smirked. "Okay, I will..."

Velouria did not respond, so Dwyer opted to just dig his hands through the wolfskin's thick fur to keep him from falling off. He heard another terrible roar, and when he looked up he could see the silkwyrm coming into view. "There it is!" he announced, pointing towards the sky. Kiragi immediately set to work, taking an arrow from his quiver and setting it on the string in one fluid motion. He took only a second to aim, then fired. The arrow whizzed through the air, but sadly it fell just a few yards short of its target.

"We need to get it lower!" he hissed, stringing another arrow. Nina followed his action, nodding in agreement.

Before anyone could come up with any new ideas, the silkwyrm turned tail and fled east. Selkie gasped and sprinted as fast as her four legs could carry her. _"It's heading for the village!"_ the kitsune yelped.

Dwyer was nearly bucked off of the giant wolfskin once she began picking up speed to catch up to her fellow shapeshifter. The butler gritted his teeth and glanced up at the sky once more, where he could barely catch sight of the silkwyrm. It let out another roar as it neared closer to the village, and he could've sworn he heard screaming in the distance.

"We have to hurry!" Ophelia urged.

'You don't say,' Dwyer hissed to himself. He peeked over Velouria's shoulder, and he could see the village in the distance. 'Dammit, we're not going to make it in time!' he realized with horror. He looked around, hoping for a plan to form among one of the other children, but they looked as hopeless as he did. 'Dammit!' the butler cursed.

"Look!" Kana cried, pointing to the sky. "It's Percy!"

Everyone turned and, sure enough, Percy's dragon was fearlessly charging at the monster. Percy urged his mount to move faster, and he readied his axe to strike. "C'mon," he muttered to himself. "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!" He took a mighty swing, and whooped in joy as it sliced through the silkwyrm's thick flesh. The silkwyrm screeched and turned around, looking to take a bite out of the young hero. Percy yelped and Ace reared back, just barely dodging the needle-like teeth the silkwyrm possessed.

Caeldori was right behind Percy, and her mount graciously swooped down, her naginata sheathing itself in the monster's eye. It screeched in pain once more, twisting its body around in unnatural positions. Its large wings flapped wildly, allowing it to regain the higher ground.

Kana took out her dragonstone and grinned. "My time to shine!" she cheered, shapeshifting into the mighty dragon. She roared and with one large flap of her wings, she took to the air. Kana rammed her head into the silkwyrm, allowing for Percy to slash it open once more with his axe.

Ophelia watched the aerial battle, before she turned to the others. "Okay...Kiragi!" she said. "You and Nina stay in the field and focus on clipping its wings." The two archers nodded and drew back their bows. Ophelia turned to Dwyer. "Dwyer, you stay with them and heal any of us who get wounded."

Dwyer raised an eyebrow, surprised to be witnessing a whole new side of Ophelia he didn't know she had. It was strange, seeing her able to take control of such a situation. He then nodded, deciding to ask her about it later. "Right," he grunted.

Ophelia then turned to the remainder, which was Mitama, Selkie, and Velouria. "The rest of us will go to the village and help them however we can." Everyone nodded and took their positions. Ophelia looked back at Dwyer, who gave her a nod and a small smile. Ophelia beamed and motioned for her group to follow, and they all sprinted towards the village.

'You really are something, Ophelia Dusk,' Dwyer thought as he stared after them. Sighing, he turned around to find Kiragi and Nina firing away their arrows, but their shots still fell just a little bit short.

"Kana has the best chance of bringing it lower," Nina observed, frowning. "But that thing is putting up a fight..."

Kana was wrestling with the silkwyrm, both viciously biting into each other. A few droplets of blood fell from the sky, hitting Dwyer, much to disgust. Whose blood it was he couldn't tell, but he was beginning to worry for the young princess. Suddenly, to Kana's, and everyone else's, surprise, the silkwyrm shot fire from its mouth, which hit dead center on Kana's chest. The young dragon was blown back and barely managed to keep flight, before the silkwyrm slammed its tail into her, causing poor Kana to plummet down.

"NO!" Dwyer yelled as the dragon landed. He rushed to her aid, holding out his healing staff. "Kana, are you alright?!" he gasped, running the staff over her body.

The dragon gave a weak nod. _"Y-Yeah..."_ she muttered. _"Just a little dizzy, and my chest...hurts."_

Dwyer sighed and focused on her chest, noticing the severe burn that had gotten past her scales. 'That must of been some fire,' he thought as he concentrated. 'What was Mister Odin thinking?!' He began to sweat as the dragon's burn slowly disappeared, new scales forming in its place.

 _"Dwyer? Are you okay?"_ Kana asked, nudging her head against the butler.

Dwyer panted and nodded. "Y-Yeah..." he wheezed. "It's just...some wounds take more energy to heal than others, and those kind of wounds take even _more_ energy when it's on something other than human..."

 _"GAH!"_ Kana yelped. _"I'm sorry, Dwyer! If I had known I would've turned back into a person!"_

The butler shook his head and flopped down on the ground. "It's...better that you didn't," he told her. "The wound would've just hurt you a lot more if you changed." When he saw the dragon looking at him in concern, he reached up and placed his hand on its muzzle. "I'm fine, Kana," he assured. "I just need a minute to recover, that's all."

The dragon seemed hesitant, but she eventually nodded. Kana glanced towards the sky, where Percy and Caeldori were now concentrating at dodging the deadly fire. Kana stood up, her legs shaking. Dwyer reached over and grabbed one of her legs, causing the dragon to look back at him. "Take a few moments, first." he advised. "Just because I healed the wound, doesn't mean you're one hundred percent."

The dragon cast its eyes downward. _"I know...but they need help!"_

Dwyer glanced up at the aerial battle. "Yeah..." he agreed. "They do."

Caeldori jabbed her weapon into the monster's flank, but it didn't pierce as deeply as she had hoped. The silkwyrm twisted towards her and shot a stream of fire at her. Caeldori yelped and ducked under it, her pegasus swooping down to the monster's belly. She stabbed upwards, but the silkwyrm knew of her plan and flew higher before she could harm it. She heard Percy let out a battle cry as he swung his axe, but the creature seemed to have caught onto their battle plan, because this time it dodged effortlessly.

"Is this thing seriously getting smarter?!" Percy growled, growing frustrated. "Oh...If my pop was here, he'd turn you into a...UGH!" He swung again, but the silkwyrm twisted out of the way and smacked him aside with its tail. Caeldori frowned and rushed to her comrade's aid, her naginata slashing into silkwyrm's side. As the blood spurted out, she allowed herself to smirk in satisfaction.

'Look at me now, Father!' she internally cheered. She briefly glanced down towards the ground. 'Look at me now...Dwyer.'

"Caeldori, watch out!" Percy warned.

Caeldori looked ahead and saw the silkwyrm coming straight towards her. Before she could react, the monster rammed into the crimson beauty's mount, knocking her off of it and sending her falling to her death.

"NO!" Percy cried, swooping in to rescue her. However, the silkwyrm noticed this and cut him off, spewing fire at his direction.

'I'm...I'm falling!' Caeldori realized. She screamed and closed her eyes, not wanting to see the ground grow ever closer.

Dwyer watched in horror as the pegasus knight dropped like a stone, and without thinking he leaped onto Kana's back. The dragon squeaked as Dwyer ordered, "Fly, dammit!" Kana obeyed and took to the air, looking to intercept Caeldori's descent.

Caeldori saw her entire life flash before her eyes, and she tried to keep herself from crying. 'I don't wanna die...' she sobbed.

Suddenly she felt an arm reached out and grab her, and she opened her eyes to find herself being pulled onto Kana's back. "Wha-" She glanced at her rescuer, and saw Dwyer's gentle smile greeting her. "Dwyer...you!" Caeldori gasped and wrapped her arms around the butler. "You saved me! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Dwyer blushed and tried to squirm out of the girl's grasp, but she held tight. "Y-Yeah..." he said, looking away as Kana landed. "I guess I did."

Dwyer helped the girl off of the dragon, and led her to where her mount was waiting. Caeldori threw her arms around the pegasus, softly stroking its mane. Kana glanced up into the sky and narrowed her dragon eyes. _"Percy needs help!"_ she exclaimed, turning to Dwyer. _"I'm going whether you want me to or not!"_ Dwyer raised an eyebrow, but then nodded. Kana once again took to the sky, now with a vengeance.

 _"Take this, you jerk!"_ she roared as she slammed into the silkwyrm, allowing Percy to score a direct hit on the eye Caeldori didn't blind.

Now without sight, the silkwyrm was furious. It wildly sprayed fire everywhere, desperately trying to scorch one of its opponents. However, the two dodged effortlessly, trading blows against it and gradually forcing it down.

Kiragi took this opportunity to draw back his bow as much as he could. "No more mister nice guy!" he cried, before letting his arrow fly. The projectile stuck into the silkwyrm's wing lowering it further. Nina's arrow soon shot straight through the other wing, and the silkwyrm began plummeting down to earth.

Percy chased after it, readying his axe. Ace snarled as he gave a final burst of speed, which was all Percy needed. "Bombastic Beat-down Blow!" he announced before swinging his axe with more strength than he knew he had. Blood sprayed on Ace as Percy's axe cut clean through the silkwyrm's head, effectively decapitating it. Percy and Ace shouted out their victory, swiftly moving to land besides the others. "Did you see that?!" Percy exclaimed, pointing at the falling silkwyrm. He began making several chopping motions with his hands. "I was like 'wachow!' and then I was like 'CHOP' and then that silkwyrm fella was like 'oh no!'" He grinned and held a thumbs up. "Who's the man?!" He turned to Ace and affectionately rubbed his dragon's head. "Wait til Mom and Pops hear about this, Ace!"

Dwyer rolled his eyes, but didn't dare interrupt the young hero's celebration. Instead he turned to Caeldori, who was trying her best to hide her laugh. "Caeldori," Dwyer said, catching her attention. Dwyer glanced away. "I'm, uh...I'm glad you're alright."

"O-Oh!" she gasped, before rubbing her arm. "Thank you again, Dwyer..." She blushed. "You're my hero..."

'H-Hero?' Dwyer thought, eyes widening. He cleared his throat. "Oh, please..." he murmured. "If anyone deserves that title right now it's Percy..."

"Oh, I agree he does," Caeldori said. She wrapped her arms around the butler and pulled him close. "But he's not the only one who deserves that title," she whispered into his ear.

"THE DARKNESS WHISPERS!" someone cried out, and the children turned around to see Odin Dark leading Corrin's army, grinning at them. "Worry not, children! We are here to rescue you and slay the wretched beast!"

"Um...yeah..." Dwyer began awkwardly. "We already killed it."

Odin Dark froze. "Oh...you did?" He coughed and gave a weak smile. "Well, um...congratulations!"

Lord Leo sighed and stepped forward, looking at each of the children. "What you did was very reckless," he scolded them. "You all could've been killed!" They all looked down, not meeting the Nohrian prince's eyes. Lord Leo's features then softened as he nodded. "But, you saved the village and stopped the silkwyrm," he praised. "I suggest you all go visit the village. No doubt they want to thank their heroes."

All the children brightened and nodded. "Yes sir!" they exclaimed.

...

"Ugh...this is hopeless..." Nah growled, looking around. "The village had no idea who they were either!" She stamped her foot on the ground childishly. "Is everyone in this place a damn idiot?!" When nothing answered, she rolled her eyes. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the letter she and the others had received from her missing friends, the last time they had ever heard from them. Nah sniffed and bit her lip. "Where are you guys...?"she whimpered. "Please...just give me a sign."

Not even a breeze.

Nah sighed and shook her head. "What was I expecting?" she growled. "It's not like a sign is just going to fall out of the sky!"

Suddenly a large mass slammed into the ground in front of her, causing the manekete to scream and duck behind a rock. She slowly poked her head out and looked at the creature. "What is that thing?!" she hissed, stepping forward to observe it. It was a kind of worm...with its head missing. It had two large dragon wings sticking out of its back, one torn and the other with an arrow in it. But most importantly, it smelled like...

Nah's eyes widened. "Owain!" she gasped.

Her spirits revived, the manekete happily continued on her way. 'I'll find you guys!' she vowed. 'Just wait for me, okay?'

...

As Lord Leo said, the villagers were more than happy to welcome their saviors, and that night an entire festival was held in their honor. It was almost ridiculous how fast it took the villagers to set up games and food booths, to collect prizes that young children were eager to win.

It was kind of...heartwarming, Dwyer had to admit as he watched the events unfold from his spot at one of the many tables set up for eating. Selkie was eagerly playing tag with the children, while Velouria was kind enough to give another group piggyback rides. Percy had a crowd gathering around him as he retold the events that had led to the silkwyrm's death...with his own twists, of course.

Dwyer took a sip of his ginger ale and sighed. While it was nice, and a few villagers have come to thank him for his help, the butler had the feeling he shouldn't be at this celebration. Maybe it was his own insecurities talking, but everyone else did most of the work. He was just...extra baggage. Dwyer set his mug down and frowned. Great, now he was in a bad mood.

"Isn't this festival wonderful, Dwyer?" Ophelia sat down next to the butler, grinning. "I do believe seeing the happiness on everyone's faces is the best reward of all, wouldn't you agree?"

Dwyer shrugged and grunted. "Yeah, I guess."

The dark mage tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. "Dwyer? You seem unhappy."

Dwyer took another sip of his ale. "It's nothing," he assured. "Don't worry about it."

Ophelia narrowed her eyes. "Dwyer..."

Dwyer bit his lip then nodded slowly, knowing that he wouldn't be able to trick Ophelia. "I...don't feel like I belong here," he admitted.

"Why?" Ophelia asked, placing her hand on top of Dwyer's. "Has someone been insulting you?"

Dwyer shook his head. "No, it's just..." He sighed and shook his head. "Compared to the rest of you guys, I feel like I barely did anything to help contribute to this. I was just...an extra, I guess."

Ophelia cuffed him in the head, causing the butler to wince in pain. "That's stupid!" she hissed. "Caeldori told me of your daring rescue, that's heroic in its own right! You deserve to be here just as much as everyone else!"

Dwyer shrugged again. "So how were you able to lead everyone so effectively?" he questioned, changing the subject. "I've never seen that side of you before."

Ophelia laughed and glanced away. "To tell the truth, I'm not sure how I was able to, either..." she admitted with a shrug. "Father says that I get it from my grandfather, but he wouldn't tell me any more than that."

"Well your grandfather must have really been something," Dwyer muttered, glancing towards the dance square. He saw Soleil lead a girl through a bouncy waltz, and he couldn't help but smile a little. It seems like his lessons were paying off...somehow. The flirtatious mercenary caught the butler's eye and grinned, turning to the girl and whispering something. The girl glanced over at Dwyer, before turning back to Soleil and nodding. The girl then disappeared into the crowd, and Soleil strutted over to where Dwyer and Ophelia sat, plopping down at the butler's side.

"Well, if it isn't the fearless rescuer!" she chirped, leaning over. "You know, everyone's been hearing about what you did to save Caeldori!"

Dwyer coughed. "May I ask how?"

Soleil jerked her thumb over to where the crimson beauty stood. She was chatting with some of the elderly, and they all shared a laugh. "She's been telling everyone about how you're her hero and whatnot," she explained, smirking. "Gods, she's completely gushing over that!"

Dwyer blushed and looked away. "Y-You must be exaggerating..." he grumbled.

Soleil snickered and poke her friend's cheek. "Aw, you're blushing!" she teased, eyes twinkling with mischief. "Who knew the biggest hero in town could be flustered so easily?"

"S-Shut up!" Dwyer his, turning towards the mercenary. "Gods, sometimes I wonder how I can actually stand you..."

Soleil shrugged. "You wouldn't be the first to think so," she admitted. She turned to Ophelia and noticed her tinted cheeks as she tried looking away. "Aww, Ophelia's jealous of all the attention Dwyer's getting!"

"I am not!" Ophelia protested.

"Oh, so you're jealous of Caeldori being all over him, then~?"

"S-Shut up, Soleil!"

Dwyer drowned the two out, as he would rather not hear that conversation. Rolling his eyes, he got up and decided to go somewhere quieter. He caught sight of Mitama heading around a corner, and he figured that was his best chance of finding a good napping spot. He was just about to head over that direction when all of a sudden a palm smacked his back, _hard._ Dwyer gasped and turned around, seeing Selkie grinning at him.

"Tag, you're it!" she exclaimed, before turning to the children. "Run!" she ordered. "Or else the big bad butler will get you~!" She wiggled her fingers and lowered her voice. "He hates fun, so you better not let him catch you or else you'll end up just like him!"

The children shrieked and sprinted away, leaving Dwyer in a state of confusion. He turned to Selkie, who nodded in satisfaction.

"There!" she said. "That'll keep 'em busy for awhile!"

Dwyer raised an eyebrow. "Selkie, wha-"

"Shhh!" Selkie placed her finger on the butler's lips. "There's something I gotta show ya!"

Dwyer glanced back to where Mitama had disappeared to. "Um, can it wait?"

Selkie's face fell and her ears drooped. "You don't wanna see your surprise..?" she whimpered.

Dwyer quickly put his hands on the girls shoulders, urging her not to cry. "Okay, okay!" he said. "I'll see it!"

"YAY!" Selkie jumped into the air and took Dwyer's hand, leading him through the crowd. They ducked between buildings until they finally reached a small pond which the moon shown brightly upon, lighting up the whole scenery. Dwyer glanced down and noticed a collection of koi swimming around inside the pond.

"It's great, right?" Selkie beamed, glancing down. "Even though everywhere else it's the middle of winter, all covered in snow and stuff, here it's still summertime! It's amazing!" She turned to the butler. "Kinda like the castle, huh?"

Dwyer nodded in agreement. "Yeah," he breathed, before looking at the kitsune. "Is this what you wanted to show me?"

"Sorta," Selkie replied. "I figured this would be a great spot to give ya what I wanted to give ya!"

Dwyer raised an eyebrow, "And what would that be?"

Selkie smirked and winked. "You have to close your eyes first, silly!"

Dwyer's face turned red and he tugged at his collar uncomfortably. "Urk...do I have to?"

"Yep!"

Dwyer nodded slowly. "Um...okay then." He closed his eyes and waited.

"Are they all the way closed?"

Dwyer scoffed. "Of course, Selkie."

"Okay...get ready!"

Something was shoved into his hands.

Dwyer opened his eyes and glanced down, noticing a black wooden box, about four feet in length, was now in his hands. "What's this?" he asked, tilting his head.

Selkie grinned and bounced on her heels. "Open it, open it, open it!"

Dwyer set the box down and sat down on his knees, and slowly he lifted the lid off of it. His eyes widened when he saw the two objects inside, and slowly he lifted them one by one out of the box, as carefully as he could manage. The first object was a silver dagger which glistened under the moonlight. The second was perhaps more appropriate, and it was admittedly something Dwyer had wanted for awhile, but could never afford. A moon festival, a rather powerful Hoshidan rod.

"Selkie..." he breathed. "I..."

"Happy three months of friendship and you being here, Dwyer," Selkie said quietly, kneeling down beside the butler. "They were really expensive to get, but Daddy helped me with the money. I wanted to give it to ya for your birthday, but I heard it already passed."

Dwyer nodded. "It did..." he confirmed. He turned to Selkie and tilted his head. "But...why?" he asked. "You didn't have to..."

"Because you're my friend, dum-dum," Selkie declared, poking Dwyer's nose. Her face became serious, which was rare. "I still remember the first time we met, and even though you didn't even know me...you helped me when I was in trouble." She flicked one of her ears. "Do ya know what you said. Dwyer?" She cleared her throat and lowered her voice, saying in a bored tone, "I couldn't just let a pretty girl fall on her head like that."

Dwyer rolled his eyes at the bad impression. "I still don't see what this had to do with giving me these."

Selkie sighed and laid down. "Because you're my friend and I care about you," she explained. "And I wanted to find a way to show you that!"

Dwyer laid down next to the girl, nodding. "Well...thank you," he whispered loud enough for her to hear. "I promise you that I'll cherish these..."

"Yeah...you better..." Selkie chuckled. "Because now I'm broke!"

"Ah, Dwyer!" The two jumped and glance behind them, and saw Lord Corrin approaching. "I was hoping to have a moment to speak with you."

"Oh! Uh..." Dwyer turned to Selkie, who simply smiled and waved. Dwyer nodded and turned back to Lord Corrin. "Yes, what is it?"

Lord Corrin turned to Selkie and coughed. "Would you mind...giving us just a moment?" he asked.

"Oh, sure thing!" Selkie skipped away, waving goodbye to her friend. Dwyer waved back, before turning back to the dragonic prince.

"Dwyer, tomorrow morning there's something you and I have to do," Lord Corrin explained. "I heard about how you rescued Caeldori, and as my new head of staff, I believe there's someone you must meet. I talked to your father about it, and he agreed."

"Okay..." Dwyer raised an eyebrow. "Who would you like me to meet?"

Lord Corrin grinned. "The dragon who lives in the temple inside our castle," he answered. "Dwyer, I want to introduce you to Lilith."

...

 **Yeah, yeah, I added another Nah cameo. I couldn't help it! I saw the opportunity and I took it! Anyway, next up we'll see Dwyer's first encounter with Lilith...and then after that? Pfft, what else but chaos? Just kidding, after Lilith's meeting I'll start Dwyer's official training as head of staff, as well as some chapters possibly focusing on Selkie and Sophie, since I feel like I don't touch on them enough. Don't forget to review! And remember, stay wykkyd!**


	22. A Prophecy?

**If any of you are wondering, we're about a third through the story. NOTE: This chapter is a little more serious than others, just giving y'all a warning.**

 **...**

The dagger.

Compared to the shuriken, it was heavier and much better suited for close quarters combat. The shuriken was a projectile at its core, and unless you were a Saizo, you probably didn't have the skill to effectively wield one at close range. That was something Dwyer had learned early during his spars with Asugi, and eventually the shuriken the sweet loving ninja had given him had become more of a lucky charm than an actual weapon.

Another advantage the dagger had was its versatility. Dwyer remembered the lessons his father used to hammer into his head; a well balanced dagger was not only good for melee, but it could also serve as a deadly projectile. Dwyer had learned through his father that the dagger was perhaps one of the most effective weapons on the battlefield. Not only was it easy to use, any poor sap could slash and stab, but once you were locked in combat with a dagger-wielder, it was all but over. Someone proficient with a dagger could easily slip through an enemy's attacks get close, rendering their much larger weapons useless.

Of course, back then, Dwyer saw no point in fighting. But things change, and now he wished he spent more time putting his father's teachings into practice.

Dwyer laid down on his bed, holding the dagger up towards the moon to observe it. It had a good weight behind it, and the blade looked like it could cut a man just by him looking at it. The handle was covered in rich designs, stemming from an ancient culture long before Nohr or Hoshido. Dwyer briefly wondered if there was anyone around the camp that could interpret the strange markings, which made of up elongated swirls and unknown animals, as well as the small figure holding up a shining light.

It must have cost a fortune.

Dwyer frowned and set down the dagger, next holding up his moon festival. While some in Nohr might look at it with awe, with the blue jewel signifying the moon and the golden crest meant to represent Hoshidan royalty, Dwyer had done enough research to know what exactly this rod meant to the people of Hoshido. Only seen in temples, the moon festival was a sacred object that typically only priests were allowed to handle. For the butler to have one of these now...once again, it must have cost Selkie a fortune.

'She really shouldn't have,' the butler thought as he set down the rod. Dwyer yawned and closed his eyes. 'I'll...have to make it up to her...somehow...'

He didn't know when he fell asleep, but when he opened his eyes he saw that the moon still shined brightly. Dwyer groaned and rolled over, attempting to fall back asleep. Not a minute later he opened his eyes and sat up, knowing that he wasn't getting any sleep tonight. It was then that something in the corner caught his eye, and he slowly turned his head to see what it was. He jumped, and backed away quickly, confused why there was a woman he did not know standing in his bedroom.

"Um...uh..." Dwyer stammered, before giving a hesitant wave. "H-Hi..."

The woman didn't say anything, her only response being a playful smirk. Dwyer observed the woman and finally got a good view of her as she began walking toward him. Her hair was tied up with golden medallions, and she wore a traditional outfit of a diviner, which hugged her gorgeous figure, dare Dwyer say it, perfectly. The woman noticed his gawking and paused her advance, moving her hand to cover her mouth as she silently giggled. Dwyer blushed and tried to come up with something to say, when the woman suddenly...vanished. Gone. No trace of her remaining.

"What...what just happened?" the butler asked himself, feeling rather spooked. He glanced all over his room to see if he could somehow find the woman, but she had truly disappeared. "Did I just see a..." Dwyer shook his head. "No, ghosts aren't real, you idiot," he scolded himself, standing up and stretching. "You're just a bit worn out from that festival..."

Still, the whole experience had left him feeling uncomfortable, and he could've sworn something inside the room was watching him. A chill ran up the butler's spine, and he decided he'd rather be anywhere but his room at the moment. Stepping outside, Dwyer checked for any place he could escape to. The bathhouse? No, that would mean heading back inside for new clothes. The mess hall? And what would he do there? Cook all night for no reason?

"Dwyer."

"GYAH!" Dwyer yelled as he jumped straight into the air, turning around and automatically trying to slap whoever sneaked up behind him.

"Wait, Dwyer! It's me, Corrin!"

Dwyer blinked and stopped himself, seeing Lord Corrin in front of him with his hands raised, a panicked look in his eyes. "Are...are you okay?" he asked.

The butler sighed and nodded. "My apologies, Lord Corrin," he muttered. "You simply surprised me, that's all."

"Really?" the dragonic prince questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Because from how you acted one would think you just saw a ghost!"

Dwyer felt another shiver pass by, but he shook his head and ignored it. "What was it you needed me for?"

Lord Corrin placed a hand on Dwyer's shoulder. "I had just gotten done speaking with Lilith," he explained. "If you would mind, she said she'd love to meet you right now." He frowned. "Of course, it's pretty late, so we could wait until tomor-"

"I-It's fine!" Dwyer interrupted. "I'd love to see her."

"Well, great!" Lord Corrin grinned and clapped Dwyer's back. "Then what are we waiting for, Dwyer? The sooner you meet Lilith, the better!"

As they approached Lilith's temple, Dwyer felt himself grow nervous. He had never seen the dragon that supposedly lived inside the castle, in fact most of the army hasn't either. With the exception of both royal lines and Lord Corrin's direct servants, no one had laid eyes on what slept within the temple. It was exciting, but a little nerve-wracking. This wasn't your average, run-of-the-mill dragon that a wyvern rider might have, but instead this dragon was one of deep intellect and wisdom. He turned to his lord and asked, "So is there anything in particular she will ask, anything I should say?"

Lord Corrin shook his head. "I don't think so," he admitted, "just be respectful and she'll treat you just fine, she's not nearly as fearsome as most imagine."

Dwyer nodded, and the two wordlessly continued on their way, until finally the temple came into view. The two stopped in front of the entrance, and Lord Corrin turned to Dwyer, his face serious. "From here on you'll have to go on your own," he explained. "Lilith only excepts one visitor at a time, I'll stay here and wait for you to return.

Dwyer gulped and nodded anxiously. 'Okay, Dwyer, just calm down...' he told himself. 'It's just a dragon unlike anything you've ever seen before. It's just a dragon that's potentially ten times more dangerous than Ace...'

...okay, that didn't sound too comforting. Dwyer turned back to Lord Corrin, who motioned for him to continue. Dwyer took a deep breath and nodded, before ducking into the entrance.

When his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he was a little disappointed by how small the temple actually was. Sure, it was also small from the outside, but the butler had always suspected it would be a lot bigger inside. The 'temple' consisted of one room, probably no larger than the average kitchen. Rising from the middle of the room was a stone alter, with a single loaf of bread sitting on top of it. Dwyer looked around, noting the vines that ran up and down the walls, almost reminding the butler of veins. In fact, if he looked closely he could've sworn he saw the vines pulsating. But it must've been his imagination.

However, one thing he did not see was a dragon of any kind. Clearing his throat, the butler called out her name. "Lilith?" There was no answer. "It's...it's me, Dwyer..." he said. "You wanted to see me?"

Still, there was no sign of the dragon. All Dwyer could see was a small fish floating above the alter...

Wait. What.

Dwyer did a double take and stared at the odd fish-like creature. It's body was mainly white, with red and blue splotches covering it. It had four small legs, the front two clinging to a crystal orb. It had a dorsal fin that jutted out wildly, and a beautiful tail that looked like it belonged to a goldfish. On top of its head it wore a maid's headdress.

The creature was...admittedly adorable.

"Um..." Dwyer tilted his head. "Are you...Lilith?"

 _"I am."_

"..." Dwyer scratched the back of his neck.

Lilith floated closer and inspected the butler. _"You seem surprised,"_ she noted.

"Er...sorry," Dwyer apologized. "It's just...you're not entirely what I expected..."

The little dragon's eyes narrowed. _"And what is that supposed to mean?"_

"Nothing!" Dwyer assured quickly, glancing away. 'Wow...this is really awkward.' That wasn't a word he was hoping to use to describe this encounter, but so far it was the only one he had.

The little dragon nodded and floated back to her original position. _"If it helps ease the tension, you are not entirely what I expected, either..."_

Dwyer frowned. "What do you mean?"

 _"Dwyer, I hear all that happens in the castle."_ Lilith explained. _"And one day I begin hearing about a new face, a young man who spends most of his time going out of his way for other people, who is surrounded by friends who love him with all their hearts."_ Dwyer blushed as the dragon narrowed her eyes. _"In fact, most recently I heard about how heroically leaped onto a dragon, much like myself, to rescue a girl from falling to her death."_ Dwyer could've sworn the dragon smirked. _"And yet, you look nothing like I imagined."_

"Gee...thanks..." Dwyer muttered, crossing his arms.

Lilith giggled and spun around. _"Cheer up!"_ she told him. _"It isn't our appearances who make us who we are, Dwyer! You're living proof of that."_ Lilith inched closer and tilted her head. _"I've heard a lot about you, Dwyer...and let's just say you've done a good job capturing my interest. Not a feat many accomplish, save for Corrin."_

Dwyer's face flushed and he cleared his throat. "Well...thank you, Lilith..."

 _"You're welcome. However, I didn't invite you over for a friendly get together,"_ Lilith told him. _"Dwyer...you're a very special person..."_

"My mother says I'm special too," the butler deadpanned.

Lilith snickered and shook her head. _"I don't mean that in the way of saying 'everyone's special',"_ she clarified. _"What I mean is...I sense something inside you...something that I don't sense very often. You have a gift, Dwyer, a gift to bring out the best in those you meet. Cherish it, because you're destined to change the lives of many. All those friends you've made, it is your job to protect them. They need you, Dwyer...you're more important than you'll ever know to this story."_

Dwyer thought about Lilith's words for a few moments, before he sighed and shook his head. "Honestly, that sounds less like a prophecy and more of a glorified motivational speech," he admitted.

The dragon blinked, then shrugged. _"Well take of it what you will,"_ she said, _at least you're honest about it."_ She glanced towards the entrance. _"You're free to go, Dwyer."_ The dragon beamed brightly. _"And do come again sometime, I wouldn't mind spending more time with you!"_

"I will," Dwyer promised, before bowing. "Thank you for having me, Lilith." He turned to leave when the small dragon called his name out again.

 _"You want a prophecy, Dwyer?"_

"Not really..."

 _"Use your gift wisely, Dwyer,"_ the dragon warned. _"I see three young women, all of whom care about you deeply, but all will bring you harm. Who they are I do not know, but one will lead to heartbreak, another will lead to destruction, and the final woman..."_

Dwyer turned to fully face Lilith. "Yes..?"

Lilith closed her eyes and remained silent for a long minute, before opening her eyes again. There was a sadness in them that honestly frightened the butler. _"The last woman will lead you to your death."_

...

"Dwyer, you're back!" Lord Corrin grinned and folded his arms. "So, how did it go?"

Dwyer stared blankly at the ground, not answering. Lord Corrin frowned and placed a gentle hand on the butler's shoulder. "Dwyer..?"

Dwyer glanced up, and he gave a weak smile. "It went well," he lied. "Lilith and I just talked, and she said I can come back whenever I'd like."

The dragonic prince brightened up. "That's great!" he said. "I'm glad the two of you got along."

Dwyer nodded and began walking away. "I, uh, think I'm going to go back to bed..."

"Wait just a second, Dwyer," Lord Corrin said, stopping the butler. "Take tomorrow to prepare yourself, because the day after tomorrow we're going to begin your training, okay?" He frowned. "I need you to know now the responsibility of this position, you...might not have the chance to be as social as you would like. Your father was fine with it before he was married, but now..." Lord Corrin stepped in front of the butler and sighed. "I know we didn't give you much of a choice before, but if you don't feel ready there's no shame in backing out now."

Dwyer bit his lip and thought about it, before he shook his head. "It's my responsibility," he answered. "No sense backing away from it now..."

Lord Corrin nodded. "Good, good..." He glanced over at the servant's sleeping area. "Do you want me to escort you back to your room?"

Dwyer shook his head again. "No, no," he declined, "I'll be fine."

"Well...if you're sure." Lord Corrin turned around and began walking away, waving over his shoulder. "Goodnight, Dwyer."

"Goodnight, Lord Corrin."

As soon as Lord Corrin was out of view, Dwyer collapsed onto his knees, reeling from the news he had been given. "One will lead to heartbreak," he whispered to himself. "Another will lead to destruction, and the last..." He exhaled shakily. "...will kill me..."

He needed a distraction. He needed to get those words out of his head.

He headed to the mess hall.

He kicked the kitchen door open.

Sophie yelped and turned around, holding a wooden spoon awkwardly. "Oh, uh...Dwyer!" she greeted with a nervous laugh. "W-What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Dwyer grunted. "It's the middle of the night, Sophie."

"W-Well...I was just..." Sophie sighed and shook her head. "I was trying to teach myself...how to cook." She glanced away and bit her lip. "Y'know, the reputation of being the army's resident klutz can only be tolerated for so long before-"

"I get it," Dwyer growled, pointing at an apron hanging on one of the walls. "Put that on, I'll help you cook." 'I did say I'd make it up to Selkie,' he thought to himself as he put on his own apron. Nodding, he turned to Sophie and said, "I hope you're ready, we're going to be cooking all night." Without waiting for the girl's response he turned back to the food and stared at the ingredients. 'Selkie doesn't like veggies,' he remembered, shoving aside all of the fruits and vegetables.

"Um...Dwyer?" Sophie squeaked from behind him.

Dwyer pointed to one of the barrels. "That barrel was freshly stocked with some fish caught yesterday, would you bring out two for me?"

"Oh! Uh...okay!" Sophie rushed over to the barrel and pulled out two fish, scrunching her nose. "Urk...um, Dwyer?" She turned back to the butler and handed him the fish, which he proceeded to gut the moment they were in front of him. "We're serving the army _fish_ for breakfast? Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"It's not for the army," Dwyer explained and handed the gutting knife to Sophie. "Here, you take over, there's some more ingredients I have to collect."

Sophie stared at the knife nervously. "Are...you sure I can do this?"

Dwyer sighed and stepped behind the cavalier, wrapping his arms around her. Sophie blushed heavily and squirmed, but Dwyer ignored it. "Here," he instructed, taking her hands in his and guiding her through the motions. "Like this." He pulled away and patted the girl's shoulder, heading towards another barrel.

'What's with him?' Sophie wondered as she gutted the fish. She glanced over at Dwyer, who was pouring some wine in a bucket. 'He seems so..distracted. Did something happen?' She cleared her throat. "Ah...Dwyer?"

The butler glanced up. "Yes?"

Sophie bit her lip. "Is everything...alright?" she asked. "You seem troubled by something, and if there's any way I can help, please let me know..."

Dwyer's eyes softened and he shook his head. "It's fine," he reassured her. "Don't worry about it..."

He was lying, and Sophie knew it.

He knew she knew it, but he chose not to comment. Instead he searched the pantry for a box and pulled one out. "I know she doesn't like vegetables," he muttered to himself. "But a small amount to boost the flavor won't hurt anyone..."

Sophie tilted her head. "She?" the cavalier repeated, before a sly smirk formed. "Aw, are you slaving over all of this for a girl?"

'That explains why he's distracted, I guess...'

"Selkie." Dwyer confirmed, pulling out a potato, inspecting it closely.

Sophie's face flushed. "Selkie?" She shook her head. "Wow, I had no idea you and her..."

Dwyer's face turned red and he furiously shook his head. "N-No, it's not like that," he hissed. "I'm just doing this as payment."

Sophie put down her knife and frowned, turning to face the butler fully. "So if it's not Selkie who is distracting you, then what is?"

Dwyer rolled his eyes. "I'm not distracted, Sophie."

"Bullshit!"

Dwyer yelped and dropped the potato, whipping his head around to face the cavalier. Sophie _never_ cursed! Sophie cursing was the equivalent to Soleil deciding to give up on girls entirely! "S-Sophie-"

"Dwyer, you tell me what's wrong right now or I swear, I'll send Avel chasing after you!" Sophie growled, placing her fists on her hips.

"..." Dwyer looked away and sighed. "It's..." Complicated, for one. "...nothing, it's nothing."

Sophie stared at the butler, and she felt her eyes begin to water up. She shook her head and took a deep breath. "F-Fine..." she hiccuped, turning towards the kitchen door.

"Where are you going..?" Dwyer asked.

"Y-You won't tell me what's wrong, so I-I'm going back to bed..." Sophie answered, wringing her fingers together. "Goodnight, Dwyer..."

 _"...one will lead to heartbreak..."_

"Sophie, wait!"

Sophie froze when she felt two arms wrap around her from behind. She turned her head and saw Dwyer staring at the ground. "D-Dwyer..." she whispered.

"Sophie, you're right..." Dwyer admitted. "I am distracted..." He frowned. "I...I had a really bad nightmare, that's all...I needed something to keep me from thinking about it..."

Sophie's gaze softened, and she turned around and wrapped her arms around Dwyer. "Dwyer, it's okay..." she murmured, rubbing his back. "It's just a bad dream, you know that..."

"Y-Yeah..."

Sophie giggled and kissed Dwyer's cheek. "Geez, you boys and your pride," she teased, pulling away. "There's no need to let it get to you like that..." She took his hand and led him back to the counter. "C'mon, let's get back to cooking, okay?"

"Y-Yeah..."

As they worked in silence, Dwyer's mind ran elsewhere. Even if he lied, maybe Sophie had a point...he shouldn't let Lilith's words get to him. He sighed.

That was much easier said than done.

...

The ground wasn't even visible anymore, it was blanketed with the bodies of both bandits and faceless.

Rhajat panted as she sat in the middle of it all, blood covering her entire body. 'It...It's done...Mother...'

Rhajat glanced towards the sky, noticing how the moon had vanished. Yet there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

"H-Help..." a hoarse voice broke through the silence. "P-Please, someone help..."

Rhajat turned her head towards the direction, and noted that the pleas were coming from a collapsed building. The diviner slowly climbed to her feet and tiptoed over to the building. She could see someone struggling weakly, and with all her effort she pushed the debris out of the way.

An old man stared back at her, she recognized him as one of the village elders. He had apparently recognized her too, because the moment he saw her his dull eyes darkened. "Y-You..." he hissed. "You did this...to us..."

Rhajat bit her lip and tried to ignore his words. "P-Please sir, let me help-"

"You monster!" the old man spat, eyes burning wildly. "You sent that illness to us, and you probably sent those bandits and monsters too, didn't you?"

"Sir, I-"

 _"Didn't you?!"_

Rhajat winced and closed her eyes, kneeling her head down in shame. "Y-Yes..." she answered. "I-I sent those monsters..."

"You are a witch, a siren from hell!" the old man roared. "Curse you! Curse you and your damn mother-" The old man's eyes rolled back, and he fell back down, dead from heart failure.

Rhajat stared at the dead body for a few moments, before she began to tear up. Then, she let loose and wailed as loudly as she can to the sky.

...

 **So...yep! And no, for those of you wondering, Lilith is not one of "Dwyer's girls". That's just weird. Anyway, I hope y'all know that this serious tone thing ain't gonna last forever. The story is still meant to be a comedy, but a story that solely revolves around humor isn't a very good story in my opinion. Don't forget to review! And remember, stay wykkyd!**


	23. Picnic

**Yo, if any artists are reading this story...kinda silly to admit, but I wouldn't mind fan art of this story. I don't know, but it just feels really good when someone can capture any of the moments I write onto a picture, and I suck as an artist, so...**

 **I could make one into the cover photo! I'll give ya credit, of course!**

 **(I'm really desperate in case you couldn't tell...)**

 **Enjoy the chapter!**

...

They were finally done.

Dwyer let out a sigh of relief as he leaned against the counter. "Finally..." he gasped. "I don't think I've ever cooked hard in my life..." He glanced up at his companion. "What about you...Sophie?"

The cavalier was fast asleep, lightly snoring as she leaned against a mop that somehow supported her weight. She murmured something and yawned, but did not wake. Dwyer smirked and shook his head, glancing back at the food they had prepared. 'It's safe for now...' he decided, turning back to Sophie. Sighing, he gently lifted her bridal style and carried her out of the kitchen. The girl instinctively drew closer to the butler, and his cheeks tinted a little pink. He shook his head and stepped out of the mess hall, noting that it was morning. Dawn was breaking through, and the early risers were probably up by now.

He hoped none of them were on kitchen duty, he wanted to have time to pack the food.

He carried the cavalier towards the tents, humming a small tune to keep himself occupied. He then caught sight of Selkie, who turned and waved at him before skipping over his way. "Morning, Dwyer!" she chirped. She pointed to Sophie. "Whatcha doing with her?"

"We were up all night cooking," Dwyer explained. "She just fell asleep and I thought I should bring her back to her tent."

Selkie sniffed the pair a few times. "Yeah, you guys sure do smell like food!" She sniffed again and perked up. "Is that fish I smell?!"

Dwyer nodded and winked. "Wait awhile, and I'll share some with you." he promised.

Selkie gasped. "You mean it?!" she yelled-whispered. "Dwyer, you're the best guy ever!" She nuzzled her head against his shoulder briefly before skipping away. "I'll look forward to it!"

Dwyer stared after the kitsune, shaking his head. The girl was definitely a wild one, all right... Readjusting his hold of Sophie, he continued carrying her to her tent. "Mph...Dwyer..." she murmured in her sleep, causing Dwyer to freeze. He felt his heart quicken and his face turn hot, and he angrily shook it away.

'Don't think weird thoughts, Dwyer!' he warned himself. 'No weird thoughts, no weird thoughts...'

He finally reached the girl's tent, and he placed Sophie inside it as carefully as he could. He tucked the girl in and stared at her for awhile. He bit his lip and whispered, "Thanks for being there, Sophie..."

Another thing he'd have to make up for.

His mind wandered as he exited the tent and headed back to the mess hall. He didn't like lying to Sophie, but at the same time he didn't want to burden her with what Lilith had told him. Then what would happen? Would she think of herself as one of the possible three? Personally, Dwyer didn't think Sophie was even capable of being one of those three. The girl was much too pure for her own good, sometimes...

 _"...another will lead to destruction..."_

Dwyer winced. He's been wrong before, though.

Was there anyone else he could tell? Dwyer gritted his teeth and shook his head. No, the last thing he wanted to do was worry everyone. That 'death' part would definitely drive them up the wall...

...But maybe none of it was true? Maybe Lilith was just messing with him as payback for insulting her? Maybe? Hopefully?

Dwyer groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. He _had_ to stop thinking about this, worrying about it wasn't going to change anything! 'Why does life keeping sucking for me?' he thought, running a hand through his hair. Honestly, maybe he should go to one of his parents for this...Though they were planning on leaving, now that he thought about this he realized that news could worry them enough to stay. Sure, maybe that would be fine, but Dwyer didn't see the point of ruining their happiness for his own agenda.

It looked like he was on his own...

"Stop looking so lonely!" Soleil's bright voice broke his thoughts, and a hand smacked his back. "Just because your hair is sad doesn't mean you have to be!"

Dwyer turned around and raised an eyebrow. "What...what does that even mean, Soleil?" he asked.

The flirtatious mercenary shrugged and chuckled. "I don't even know," she admitted, before flicking her friend's forehead. "It means that you gotta lighten up a little, pal!"

Dwyer rolled his eyes. "Trust me, you've got enough cheer to balance out my dreariness." he said, folding his arms.

Soleil shrugged and walked towards the mess hall, motioning Dwyer to follow her. "Maybe," she agreed. "So how have you been? You kinda disappeared on me and Ophelia during the festival yesterday."

Dwyer glanced up at the morning sunlight. "Selkie had a gift she wanted to give me," he explained. "After that I decided to head back home and sleep."

Soleil looked at the butler and frowned. "Well, it doesn't _look_ like you got any sleep."

Dwyer nodded. "Because I didn't. Sophie and I stayed up all night cooking."

"Why?"

"For Selkie," Dwyer said with a shrug. "I really appreciated her gift, so I wanna pay her back for it. I'm taking her on a picnic today."

Soleil frowned. "Today..?"

Dwyer stopped walking. "Yeah...?" He coughed. "Is there something wrong?"

"N-No, it's just..." Soleil sighed. "Today's Sunday, that's all..." She glanced away, her cheeks a little pink.

Dwyer raised an eyebrow. Sunday? What was so important about Sunday?" "Yeah...and..?" he asked hesitantly.

He paled as Soleil's face fell. "I-It's...it's when you and I practice dancing..."

Oh gods. Dwyer smacked himself, unable to believe he forgot. 'I was so distracted I forgot all about that!' He placed a hand on Soleil's shoulder. "Listen, Soleil, Selkie will understand if I say I can't-"

"NO!" the flirtatious mercenary protested. She took a deep breath and sighed. "You go enjoy the day with Selkie, 'kay?" She put on a fragile smile and lightly punched Dwyer's shoulder. "You and I can always dance some other time, right?"

"R-Right..."

"S-So go get 'em, tiger!" Soleil urged, pointing towards the mess hall. "Your date's waiting, isn't she?" She winked, and Dwyer blushed. Soleil pushed Dwyer towards the mess hall and watched him go, and then her smile broke.

"Why am I so emotional about this?" she asked herself. "He has other plans, big deal!" She sighed. "Like Velouria said, he ain't just a piece of meat we can all have whenever we want..."

She wasn't feeling any better.

"Another thing..." she murmured. "It's not like Dwyer to be so forgetful..." She stared after the butler, biting her lip. "Is something going on? Something he ain't telling me?"

Would it be so wrong for her to find out what that was?

...

"And that should do it," Dwyer muttered as he finished packing the last of the food, and he leaned against a wall in relief. "Okay, I'm good here..." He glanced at the tremendous amount of food he ended up packing...yup, all two baskets of them.

It wasn't like he was so lethargic that he couldn't handle two baskets of food, at least that's what he told himself, but it because of what was lingering on his mind that slowed him down. 'I can't believe I forgot all about today...' He knew Soleil was a tough girl, and she'd be happy to let Dwyer spend time with Selkie, but dammit, he still felt guilty. He thought about taking the mercenary dancing tomorrow, but he realized that he would be busy all day with training.

And it wasn't like he _didn't_ want to spend time with Selkie! The girl's unlimited amount of energy may be a bit too much to handle at times, but her heart was always in the right place. But at the same time, Dwyer wasn't fully comfortable leaving Soleil all alone either.

A knock came from the door. "Dwyer~" Selkie's voice rang from the other side. "You almost ready?"

Dwyer smiled and stood up, grabbing the two baskets. He opened the door and stepped out, nodding at the kitsune. "Yup," he said. "But first we have to go to my room. I need to get my moon festival and dagger."

"Aw, that's sweet of you to bring them!" Selkie beamed, but then she tilted her head. "But why would you need to bring them?"

Dwyer rolled his eyes. "Just in case," he answered simply.

Selkie puffed out her cheeks, but didn't comment on Dwyer's less-than-subtle way of saying she was a hazard to her own health. Dwyer had to give the kitsune credit, she wasn't nearly as scatterbrained as most thought she was. The two headed over to Dwyer's room, but upon reaching the door the butler hesitated, the memories of last night's mysterious visitor still running through his mind.

Selkie noticed Dwyer's discomfort and tilted her head. "Dwyer?" she asked. "What's wrong?"

Dwyer shook his head and sighed. "Nothing, nothing." He slowly turned the door knob. 'Stay calm,' he told himself as he pushed the door open. 'Stay calm, stay calm, stay calm...'

Dwyer kicked the door open and leaped inside, holding his fists out defensively. Selkie stared at the butler in confusion, before she began snickering. "Well that was funny!"

Dwyer saw that there was no mysterious woman lurking in his room, and he coughed and shook his head. "Y-You didn't see anything, alright?" he murmured.

"Whatever you say, scaredy-cat!"

Grumbling to himself, Dwyer made a quick grab for his gifts and sheathed the dagger at his side. He readjusted his grip on the moon festival and nodded at Selkie. "Okay, let's go." he said, closing the door behind him.

They walked to the exit in relative silence, until the kitsune asked, "Dwyer? Where are we going?"

The butler smirked. "You'll see."

Selkie rolled her eyes but giggled, nodding. "Okay...I'll trust you!"

She linked her arm around Dwyer's and hummed a small tune. Dwyer couldn't help but smile at the girl's antics, and the two happily continued through the astral plane, until the two reached a portal. "We're going outside?" Selkie wondered. Dwyer nodded in response.

"I found the perfect place for us," he told her, "I'm sure you'll love it."

"Oh, I bet I will!" Selkie cheered, before one of her ears flicked. "But...you haven't been out here since the festival. How did you find a place so quickly?"

Dwyer shrugged. "I had all the time I needed." he answered cryptically.

"That's not an answer!"

"It's my answer."

Selkie scoffed but nodded. The two then stepped through the portal, reappearing about a mile away from the village they were at yesterday. Selkie peered at the village, smiling. "Oooh, I know where we're going!"

"Oh really?" Dwyer asked sarcastically. "Alright, where are we going?"

"Duh! You're taking me to that pond, dum-dum!"

...to tell the truth, Dwyer was planning on parking right here and enjoying the view, but even though it would mean the longer walk, Selkie's idea _was_ admittedly better. Dwyer grinned and held a thumbs up. "Y-Yeah!" he said. "Um...great job?"

Selkie beamed at his praise, and quickly linked arms with the butler, leading him down to where the village sat. When they arrived, Dwyer shoudl not have been surprised by the hero's welcome the two received from the villagers, more than ready to thank the two teenagers again for saving the quaint little town. While Dwyer was slightly uncomfortable with all the attention, Selkie didn't seem to mind as much. In fact, she practically basked in the glory. Dwyer could only allow himself to be dragged along as the kitsune interacted with just about everyone that stumbled their way. Dwyer noticed the children take a look at him, then sprint off as soon as they remembered he was supposedly 'the guy who hates fun'.

"I do not hate fun," he muttered to himself.

Selkie flicked one of her ears. "What was that, Dwyer?"

"Nothing..."

Finally, the two reached the ally that lead to the pond, and soon they had found a lovely, quiet spot to sit. Dwyer took the picnic blanket out from one of the baskets and spread it out over the ground. Suddenly, he heard Selkie gasp. "Dwyer, look!" The butler glanced up, and saw that they had parked right underneath a cherry blossom tree. "I had no idea that was there!" Selkie cried. "Last night was too dark!"

"It is beautiful," Dwyer commented, sitting down. He smiled at Selkie and motioned for her to have a seat. The kitsune plopped down and eagerly waited for the food to come out. Dwyer chuckled at her playfulness and pulled out the two fish he and Sophie spent all night cooking. Selkie took a deep whiff and sighed blissfully.

"It smells so good!" she chirped. She started drooling and licked her lips eagerly. "I can't wait!"

Dwyer smiled at the praise and carefully cut a piece of fish and placed it on a plate. He handed it to Selkie, giving he a fork as well. "Enjoy," he told her, setting up his own plate.

Selkie licked her lips again and stabbed her fork into the fish, pulling out a small chunk. She took a bite and moaned, her eyes lighting up like fireworks. "It's delicious!" she praised between mouthfuls.

"I'm happy you enjoy it," Dwyer said as to a bite of his own fish. He nodded to himself, noting this as one of the best dishes he has made. Of course, he'd have to remember to thank Sophie for her help later on. The cavalier had done a surprisingly good job, Dwyer only had to clean up after her twice.

"You know..." Selkie began, momentarily setting her plate down. She smiled softly and gently played with her tail. "I've never actually been at a picnic before..."

Dwyer raised an eyebrow. "Never?"

"Never."

Dwyer put his own plate down and hummed. "Well...that's surprising, considering how much time you spend outside." he admitted.

Selkie giggled and shrugged. "Yeah, it is, ain't it?" She bit her lip. "Well, no one ever _wanted_ to go on a picnic with me, even though I used to beg to!" She crossed her arms. "Not even my parents, and they're my parents! What kind of dum-dums don't like spending time with their kids?"

Dwyer had actually met Selkie's parents, and he could honestly see where they were coming from. For the most part, they were quite serious, especially Selkie's mother, the opposite of their reckless daughter. Instead of telling the kitsune this, the butler simply shrugged instead. "Well, I don't know how to help with that..."

"Oh, it's okay!" Selkie assured. "After all, I've got you, don't I?"

Dwyer's face grew warm. "Yeah, of course."

Selkie giggled and pointed at the butler. "Dwyer, your face is turning red!" she teased.

Dwyer frowned and shook his head. "You're imagining things." he deadpanned.

"Pfft, if you say so!"

Dwyer shrugged and went back to his meal, and Selkie did the same. The two ate in silence, simply enjoying the presence of one another, and Dwyer took the opportunity to let his mind wander. Although he was enjoying himself, he still felt bad for flaking out on Soleil...

 _"...one will lead to heartbreak..."_

Dwyer blinked and shook his head. 'Don't think about it!' he scolded himself. 'It was just Lilith messing with you, that's all!' However, when he remembered the genuine look of sorrow on the dragon's face, he couldn't help but believe her words...

 _"...the last shall lead to your death..."_

Dwyer froze as he felt a chill go up his spine. He stared down at his fish blankly, not noticing that Selkie was calling out his name until she lifted his chin with one of her fingers. "What..?" he asked dumbly.

Selkie frowned and turned away. "Dwyer..." she murmured. "Do I...annoy you?"

Dwyer raised an eyebrow, then shook his head. "Where would you get a silly idea like that?" he asked her.

The kitsune looked down at her lap. "I noticed that you had something on your mind...it was like you weren't here at all, and it was kinda scary..." She flicked her ears. "I don't know...I guess I was just worried I wasn't being a good friend..."

Dwyer's face softened and he shook his head, slowly drawing the kitsune into his arms. "Selkie, don't worry," he murmured. "It isn't your fault, just...things are complicated for me right now, but I promise it has nothing to do with you?"

Selkie sniffed and held up her pinkie. "Pinkie swear?"

Dwyer rolled his eyes but locked his pinkie with hers. "Pinkie swear," he repeated.

Selkie sighed in relief and turned around, leaning against the butler. Dwyer stiffened but didn't dare move. "Y'know..." Selkie began. "I don't think I ever knew what it was like to be afraid until I met you, Dwyer." she told him.

Dwyer tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

Selkie sighed. "Because I'm afraid...of losing you as a friend someday..." She bit her lip. "I'm not stupid, Dwyer, I know how much the others think I'm annoying. You too." Dwyer coughed, but Selkie shook her head. "But even if you find me hard to deal with, you always stick around!" She turned back around and looked into Dwyer's eyes, giving him a shy smile. "That's what I like most about ya." She finished with a boop to his nose. She then yawned and rubbed her eyes. "I dunno about you, but I'm tired." She smirked. "I think your laziness is beginning to rub off on me, Dwyer!"

Dwyer rolled his eyes and moved to lean against the cherry blossom tree. He motioned for Selkie to sit beside him, but instead the kitsune laid flat out, her head resting on the butler's lap. She sighed and closed her eyes. "Hey, Dwyer?"

"Yeah, Selkie?"

"Do you think you can...pet my ears?"

Dwyer complied, and he gently began scratching the back of Selkie's ears, who hummed happily. "Yeah...that's the spot..."

"Hey, Selkie?" Dwyer murmured. "You'll never be too much for me to deal with..." He didn't get an answer, so he tried again. "Selkie?"

The kitsune was sleeping. Dwyer rolled his eyes and sighed, but smiled softly. Wordlessly, he closed his eyes and evened his breathing, still scratching Selkie's ears.

...

"Ugh...fresh water!" Nah groaned as she eagerly splashed the canteen on her face. "I hope whoever this belongs to won't be too mad at me..."

"Actually, I'm more annoyed and curious than anything else."

Nah jumped up and spun around to see...The manakete's eyes widened as they laid sight on possibly the most handsome man she had ever seen. "Holy hell," she whispered. "He's really hot!"

Saizo could hear the girl talking, and he squirmed uncomfortably. "Uh, thanks," he said. "So, why did you steal my water canteen?"

"Because I was thirsty, Mister Abs!" Nah casually explained as she stared at Saizo's naked torso, as he had been exercising since dawn.

"..." Saizo's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"A-Actually, maybe you can help me out?" Nah suggested. "You see, there's these three people I'm looking for! Their names are Owain, Severa, and Inigo!" She stood up and struck a pose, sticking her hand out dramatically. "Owain's a real drama queen!" She began dancing around. "Inigo can't stop dancing or flirting!" She the crossed her arms and flipped her hair. "And Severa's a redhead with attitude."

Saizo turned towards the direction of the portal. "Do you mean Odin, Selena, and Laslow?" he asked her. "If you are friends with them, perhaps something can be arran-"

He was cut off as Nah headbutted his jaw, sending him crashing into a tree. "Is everyone in this place an idiot?" she hissed, standing over the fallen ninja. "Their names are _Owain, Severa, and Inigo!_ Got it? Geez!" She stormed away, shaking her head. "Who even are Odin, Selena, and Laslow anyway? This is the third time today that someone mentioned..."

As her voice trailed off, Saizo slowly rose to his feet, shaking his head. "What just happened?" he asked no one in particular.

...

 **In response to Imperator Justinian, does that last Nah cameo answer your question? Yeah, she's OOC, but she's not a main part of this story so whatever :P Don't forget to review! And remember, stay wykkyd!**


	24. Hisame's Poor Pickles

**Sorry for the wait everyone! I recently wasted all my money on Fire Emblem Echoes, and I've been playing it all this time with hardly any breaks. What do I think of it so far? It's pretty great! Doesn't exactly top Sacred Stones for me, but still pretty great. (Though if she wasn't such a great healer, I definitely would've purposefully killed off Faye by now...)**

 **But enough of that... On with the chapter! Also, it's just gonna be one chapter tonight :/ I'm sleepy, but I know I'll just waste the night on Echoes. Another chapter will be up tomorrow, I'm sure!**

 **...**

"Um...Good morning, everyone." Dwyer greeted as he glanced down at the scroll in his hands. "Er...it looks like some of the soldiers have been, uh...complaining about a stench coming from the west...west wall." He cleared his throat and pointed to one of the servants. "Betty...I'll leave that to you...And, um...Joseph? The bathhouse water needs to be cleaned..." The butler glanced to the side, where he saw his mother and father hold their thumbs up, smiling gently.

 _"You've got this,"_ Jakob mouthed, and Dwyer wished he could believe him.

"Er, right..." He turned back to the collection of servants who silently waited for their tasks for the day. "Gary, Melissa, and Fiona...you guys are to collect...er, ingredients from the village." He took a breath and glanced at the bottom of the list. "Gunter's tasked with managing the armory...er, Flora's on cooking duty and Felicia..." He frowned. "Felicia is on..." He sighed. "...laundry duty..."

"Yes sir!" the servants replied, before breaking away to do their tasks. Felicia lingered behind and gave the young butler a gentle smile. "You're doing just fine!" she encouraged. "You'll be great at this!"

Dwyer watched as the clumsy maid left, and once all the servants were gone he sighed in relief and sat down, rolling the scroll up and tossing it over his shoulder. "That...was the most difficult thing I've ever done..." he gasped.

A hand clapped his back. "A rough start," Jakob admitted, "but very good for your first time. You should be proud, son!"

"I know I am!" Charlotte exclaimed, ruffling her son's blonde hair. "You did great, Dwyer! The way you spoke with such authority, it was wonderful!"

'Now I know she's just making fun of me...' Dwyer thought to himself, brushing his mother's hand away. "Am I going to have to do that everyday..?" he asked, looking up at his father.

The older butler nodded. "Yes, you will," he answered. "Among other things that we will practice later. You'll have to wake up well before anyone else, you'll have to manage each and every servant's salary to assure they all receive their deserved pay, you will have to make sure that every task gets done the first time, you'll have to make a report of it everyday and turn it in to Lord Corrin that night..."

As Jakob droned on, Dwyer groaned and fell flat on his back. 'This is...a lot less exciting than I thought it was going to be...' he thought, shaking his head.

"...every servant has special needs," Jakob continued, oblivious to his son's discomfort. "For example, Gary needs his oatmeal fresh from the pot or he'll skip breakfast altogether. Emeric cannot go to sleep unless his favorite bedtime story is read to him every night...and make sure you do the silly voices!"

Dwyer remembered Emeric...the fifty-two year old gardener.

Charlotte noticed the look of defeat Dwyer was currently wearing, and she cleared her throat and tapped her husband on the shoulder. Jakob stopped his rambling and raised his eyebrow. Charlotte wordlessly nodded her head at their son, and Jakob awkwardly cleared his throat. "O-Of course...we will deal with that when the time comes," he said, extending his hand to help Dwyer up. The two butlers nodded, and Jakob cleared his throat again. "For now, I suppose all of the other servants are taking care of everything that needs to be taken care of...if you'd like to spend time with friends, now would be the right time to do so."

'Assuming they all aren't busy,' Dwyer mentally groaned.

Today was his first official day as the new head of staff, and he was already hating it. Honestly, he would've much rather served as a normal butler, doing normal butler things, not ordering dozens of other servants around to do the dirty work like damn chess pieces. But...he already accepted the position, twice now, and he figured it would just be rude to quit now. Who knows...maybe he'd get used to it and actually come to enjoy his work?

...oh for the love of the divine dragons, who was he kidding? He wanted to die.

Another issue about today was that it was also the first day of training for the new retainers. The five princes' children were to receive their retainers, and a lot of his friends were picked. He would've gladly spent some quality guy time with Asugi compared to the abundance of female company he's been keeping, but the ninja was selected as Shiro's retainer alongside Caeldori. Mitama, along with Hisame, were currently training to be Kiragi's retainers. Ophelia and Nina had _always_ considered themselves Forrest's retainers, and now they were getting the chance to prove it. Soleil and Percy were to serve under Siegbert, and finally Sophie and Midori were assigned to young Kana. Apparently Shigure had been offered retainers, but he declined, saying that he never did see himself as a member of royalty.

Dwyer wondered if either Velouria or Selkie would want to spend time with him, but he remembered seeing them walk out of the castle together just a few minutes earlier, so he figured he wouldn't want to get in their way.

...he wished Rhajat was back. Dwyer narrowed his eyes and glanced towards one of the castle's exits. It had been awhile since the diviner had taken off on her journey to save the village, and Dwyer admitted to himself that he was beginning to worry for her. He hoped that she made it in time, and he hoped she would hurry back...although they had only known each other for a short time, she seemed like someone he could be great friends with...just so long as she didn't place any weird curses on him or create another puppet-Dwyer...

Sighing, he bid goodbye to his parents, took his moon festival that laid by his side, and set off towards the training grounds. He thought that even if he couldn't spend time with his friends, he could at least watch them. As he approached, he could hear the sound of swords clashing, and his instincts told him that it was Soleil. He picked up his pace and turned the corner, and his suspicions were confirmed.

Everyone gathered around as Soleil squared off against Hisame, who was beginning to pant. The two circled each other, and although Soleil kept a smile beaming on her face, Dwyer could see that she was beginning to tire. Apparently the two had been dueling for some time, and the other children had all stopped their own training to watch the two sword-wielders.

Soleil caught Dwyer's eye, and her smile grew as she briefly waved at him. Dwyer smiled and waved back, but shot a warning to the flirt as Hisame lunged. Soleil yelped and leaped back, flipping over and staggering a bit. She shook her head and smirked at the young samurai. "Pretty cheap, ain't it?" she scolded lightly. "Attacking a poor girl when she's distracted!"

Hisame coughed awkwardly and shook his head. "My apologies, I-"

He barely managed to block Soleil's attack as she leaped at him. "H-Hey, that isn't fair!" he protested.

"Pfft," Soleil chuckled as she traded blows with her opponent. "All's fair in love and war, buddy! I just used a really dirty tactic to counter your dirty tactic!"

She ducked underneath a sword swing and laughed as she slipped underneath Hisame, smacking the back of his head with the flat side of her sword. Hisame whipped around and stabbed at the mercenary, who caught the blade with her own and gave the young samurai a mischievous wink. She then twisted around and flipped over her opponent, smacking him again. When Hisame turned around to counterattack, Soleil lashed out with a kick, catching Hisame...right in the groin.

Silence.

"M-My pickles..." Hisame gasped.

Everyone groaned and winced as Kiragi's retainer fell, clutching his injured genitals as he tried to keep the tears from flowing. Soleil's eyes widened and her hands flew up to her mouth. "Omigosh, I am _so_ sorry!" she frantically apologized. "I-I was aiming for the gut, I swear! I didn't mean to hit you down there...Omigosh!"

"F-F-Forgiven..." Hisame squeaked.

"R-Really?"

"You crushed my BALLS, Soleil!" Hisame cried out, rolling around the ground. "I'm pissed at you, dammit!"

"I'll, uh...I'll give you some time to recover..." Soleil muttered as she backed away, many of the Hoshidan children already coming to their friend's aid. The flirtatious mercenary hurried to Dwyer's side, pulling him around the corner. "Well, that didn't go as planned..." she said sheepishly.

"I'd hope so," Dwyer replied, glancing back at Hisame. He winced and turned away, hands subconsciously traveling to his own private area. "But on the lighter side, there was something I noticed that I feel like I should point out."

Soleil tilted her head. "Oh yeah?" she asked. "What is it?"

"The way you moved," Dwyer answered, cupping his chin with one hand. "One thing about how you battle is how _fluid_ you are. You move with the grace of an exotic dancer..." The butler didn't notice Soleil's blush. "So, I'm thinking..."

"Uh-huh?"

Dwyer looked up at his friend and gave her a soft smile. "Well, if you're free tonight, why not share a dance with me?" he offered. "Perhaps we'll find a way to channel that movement into your dancing?"

Soleil blushed more, and a grin broke out onto her face. "I-I'd love to!" she exclaimed, nodding. She winked. "I'll see you tonight then!"

Dwyer returned the grin. "Yeah...tonight."

Soleil sighed and stretched, then frowned once she realized how sweaty her clothes were. "Ugh, again?" she murmured, turning away and peeling off her shirt. Dwyer coughed and glanced away, slamming his hand over his eyes.

"Soleil, we've been over this..."

"Pfft, you're not looking, are you?"

"Well, no..."

"Then stop complaining about it already!" the mercenary hissed, tossing her shirt away. "It's not like I'm gonna magically stop changing outside just because one guy gets embarrassed!"

Dwyer peeked through his fingers. "I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one..." he muttered.

Soleil rolled her eyes and flicked her friend's forehead. "Yeesh, stop being a baby," she teased. She spread her arms and grinned cheekily. "Go on! Take a peak! Get it out of your system now!"

Dwyer shook his head. "I'd...I'd rather not, if that's alright with you," he declined.

Soleil sighed and shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest. "Seeing a bra ain't gonna kill you, dummy..." she murmured under her breath. She then spoke up for him to hear. "How is it you've got all these hot girls after you, but you're lacking all the confidence?"

Dwyer frowned. "I have confidence!" he protested. "I just don't feel like seeing a woman's body is that necessary!"

Soleil glanced around and clicked her tongue. "Well I don't exactly have a spare shirt laying around..." she noted, observing the area.

"You're a monster, Soleil."

"Whatever you say, buddy!"

...

Finally, Soleil had put on a shirt and had returned to her training, so now Dwyer was content with sitting down on the grass and watching the training unfold. Asugi was currently on a break, and he had joined his friend. The two sat down and observed Ophelia testing out all sorts of new tricks with her magic. "She's pretty good with all that magic stuff..." Asugi noted.

Dwyer nodded. "Yes, she is."

"Me, though? Magic just seems so weird." Asugi shook his head and threw his hands into the air. "I mean, you read a book and suddenly get the power to shoot fire out of your hands? How does that even work?!"

Dwyer shrugged. "I've heard that everyone has at least _some_ magical potential, but only a few can harness it to its full extent," he explained. "Take me, for example...I know enough magic to heal wounds, but give me any old tome and I'll be worthless."

"Stop it, Naps!" Asugi groaned. "I hate this magic talk, let's talk about something else!" The ninja's eyes lowered to the dagger sheathed by Dwyer's side. "Like where, when, and how you got that new weapon."

"Oh, this?" Dwyer held up the silver dagger for his best friend to see. "It was a gift from Selkie, she gave it to me during the festival the village was having."

Asugi grinned. "Well, it sure is a beauty," he complimented. "Though personally I prefer the shuriken. What can I say? I'm an old fashioned ninja!"

"Dwyer! DWYER!" The two turned and saw Midori rushing towards them. She stopped and panted, her hands on her knees.

"Midori? What is it?" Dwyer asked, instinctively grabbing his moon festival.

"Yeah, cuz! What's up?"

Midori bit her lips and shook her head. "Caeldori had a bad accident and broke her leg!" She grabbed Dwyer's shoulders. "Mitama didn't bring her staff, so you gotta heal her!" She jabbed a thumb at herself. "There's only so much a doctor can do by herself, you know!"

Dwyer frowned and nodded, allowing the tiny apothecary to lead him to where a crowd had gathered. He squeezed past them all and stopped, staring down and the crimson beauty. Caeldori was laying on her back, tears running down her face as she gritted her teeth. Her leg was twisted awkwardly, and a huge blue spot was forming all across the thigh.

"What happened?" the butler asked.

Mitama, who was kneeling beside Caeldori, glanced up and smiled in relief when she saw Dwyer. "Something spooked her pegasus," she explained. "It accidentally threw her off, and she landed on her leg." She leaned down and whispered something into Caeldori's ear before backing away, nodding at her fellow healer. The crimson beauty's eyes flicked at Dwyer, and through the pain Dwyer could see relief.

"D-Dwyer..." she hissed, wincing.

Dwyer knelt down and shook his head. "Don't worry," he told her gently, his healer instincts kicking in. "I'm here now, okay? Just stay calm for me."

"Heh..." Caeldori smiled bitterly. "I was trying to be perfect again..." she admitted, glancing away. "I pushed my pegasus past her limits, and now here I am suffering for it...some sky knight I am!"

"Shhh..." Dwyer shook his head. "Caeldori, there's nothing to be ashamed of in trying to improve yourself...just be more careful, okay?" He turned to her injury and held up his moon festival. 'This will be my first time using it,' he realized, and he felt something inside him swell with excitement. Calming down, he turned to glance back at Caeldori. "Trust me, you're already perfect enough already."

Caeldori blushed. "D-Do you mean it?"

Dwyer nodded and turned back to his task, closing his eyes in concentration. A soft glow began to shine around Caeldori's leg, and everyone watched in awe as it began to mend itself. Dwyer began sweating, but he ignored it and kept his cool. Finally, the task was done, and Dwyer slowly helped the pegasus knight to her feet. She stumbled a bit, but gasped when Dwyer caught her. "Steady now," he told her.

"Dwyer?"

"Yes, Caeldori?"

Caeldori smiled and glanced away shyly. "If anything happens...you'll be there to fix me right back up, correct?"

Dwyer raised an eyebrow, but then smiled and nodded. "Yes," he answered. "That's a healer's job, after all."

Caeldori chuckled and briefly hugged Dwyer, before pulling away and slowly walking back towards her pegasus.

Soleil watched their entire exchange, frowning. She didn't know why, but she felt...a little upset by the whole ordeal. She shook her head and smacked herself. 'What's wrong with you, Soleil?' she growled. 'The guy's allowed to do his own thing, no need to be so salty about it!'

But she couldn't help but feel like there was something...more going on.

Ophelia witnessed Soleil's inner struggle and sighed, shaking her head lightly. "Oh, Soleil..." she whispered. "Even if I wish for his soul and mine to be shackled by a blinding light, I still wish for your happiness..." She backed away and returned to her training. "So different," she noted. "Yet...so similar."

...

 **A bit shorter, but whatever. ANYWAY! Let's play another fun game! Leave in the reviews where you think this is all going. If anyone manages to accurately guess or get close enough, they'll get...I don't know, a make-believe cookie or something.**

 **Don't forget to review! And remember, stay wykkyd!**

 **...**

"Hmm..." Nina hummed as she scribbled furiously on the paper in her hands. She felt blood leaking out of her nose, but she ignored it. She was in the zone, she couldn't be distracted now!

"Nina."

The archer sighed and glanced up from her work, but smiled when she saw Beruka, the mysterious assassin working under Lady Camilla. "Ah, Miss Beruka!" Nina greeted.

The assassin did not waste any time. "I've come for the latest issue."

Nina nodded and quickly glanced outside the window, noting that no one she knew was around the village. Good. She had to operate her business outside castle walls, or else her social life would be ruined! The daughter of Niles turned back to Beruka and reached underneath the desk, pulling out her latest issue. "That will be fifty gold, please," she said.

Beruka nodded and paid the price without hesitation, scooping up the issue and pocketing it. "I'll be back," she promised, stepping outside the small shack.

Nina waved. "Always ready for my number one customer!"

However, almost moments after Beruka left, a new face popped in, one Nina had never seen before. A young girl who looked about Nina's own age, with mint green hair tied in two braids and unusually pointed ears.

Nah took a deep breath and stepped inside, playing with the hem of her dress. "So," she started. "Everyone's been talking about this 'Dwyer and Ignatius: Wilderness Passion' series for awhile now..." She bit her lip. "Got any copies of the first issue left?"


	25. Velouria's Turmoil

**Sorry for the delay, Echoes is just really fun so far! (I'll admit I've warmed up to Faye just a little...but she's still my least favorite character. Also I should be changing Atlas's class to something other than villager, but honestly villager Atlas is working just fine. Might just keep him as a villager the whole game, just for some challenge!)**

 **But enough about that, onward to the chapter!**

 **...**

'Dwyer...'

Rhajat's eyes opened, and she realized she was laying flat on her back. The sky was a dark blue, unnaturally so. It sent the diviner's nerves on edge, and she immediately knew something wasn't right. Sitting up, she noticed she was still in the village ruins, but she had no idea when she had fallen asleep. Instinctively, Rhajat gripped one of her scrolls, ready to attack in anything went south.

She heard movement behind her, and she whipped around, firing off a snake spirit. The target dodged and slipped back into the shadows. The diviner narrowed her eyes and took a step forward. "Come out," she ordered, "unless you wish to burn in hell!"

A messy head of hair emerged, and soon a familiar young man stepped out of the shadows, an eerie smile on his face.

Rhajat lowered her guard and frowned. "Dwyer..?" she whispered. She shook her head and gritted her teeth. "What are you doing here? It's dangerous!"

Dwyer did not say anything, he only turned around and began walking away. "Hey, wait!" Rhajat called, jogging after the butler. However, when she saw how far away Dwyer, she broke into a run. "Dwyer, stop!" Even though the butler kept a walking pace, it seemed like Rhajat could simply not catch up with him. Rhajat's eyes widened and she realized that could only mean one thing.

Rhajat stopped pursuing the butler and allowed him to wander away. "Dark magic," she murmured to herself. She shook her head and turned around to get away, but she was blocked off by a wall that was definitely not there before. "...very dark magic," the diviner noted. Even though she had figured out that all of this was an illusion, it still continued. Whoever was behind this must have been a very powerful magic user, more powerful than anything Rhajat was capable of facing. She would have to proceed with caution.

The diviner took a deep breath and continued walking forward in the direction Dwyer had disappeared to. 'Stay calm,' she told herself. 'Stay calm...stay calm.'

The shadows seemed to be moving, long limbs reaching out to grab her. She ignored them, knowing that looking at them would prove to be a possibly fatal mistake. She could hear disembodied voices calling her name, but she shook her head and blocked out the noise as best she could. Finally, everything stopped, and she found herself in the center of town, where a fountain sat, black water pouring out from it. Rhajat stepped forward and her foot slapped against some liquid. She glanced down and saw that the black water was flooding out of the fountain, and the whole area was covered in a fine layer of it.

Rhajat bit her lip and walked towards the fountain, and she slowly sat down on the edge. She looked up at the sky and noticed how there was no moon, despite her being able to see everything so clearly as if there was. She glanced down at the water on the ground, staring at her reflection. She looked eerily calm on the outside, but she knew it was a facade. In truth, the diviner was terrified, but she knew there was nothing she could do while under the control of this magic. All she could do was wait...

Footsteps approached, and she looked up to see Dwyer only ten feet away, the same grin on his face. It was unnatural, it didn't suit him.

Rhajat took a deep breath and thought about home to comfort and calm herself. "There's no point in keeping up the illusion," she spoke, "I am already aware of your presence."

Dwyer's expression changed to sorrow, and slowly he sank down into the water, disappearing from view.

"Color me impressed," a voice, baritone and soothing to hear, chuckled. "I had no idea there were Hoshidans who knew of dark magic."

Rhajat narrowed her eyes. "Come out," she demanded, "let me see you."

She heard the sound of hooves approaching from one side, and she watched as a figure on a pitch black horse, the animal's eyes red as the fires of hell, circled her. She looked up at the figure, and noticed it was a man. His armor was jagged and pitched black, and a long cape draped down his shoulders. His head was covered in a helmet, n and his face was hidden beneath an eerie skull mask. In his hands he carried a large tome Rhajat recognized as Ginnungagap. Hanging from his side was a sword shaped like lightning that seemed to be oozing magic.

"A dark knight," Rhajat deduced. "An uncommon soldier from Nohr, but still nothing special." She tried to ignore the pounding of her heart as she forced a small smile. "I must say, it's impressive that someone such as yourself was able to conjure up something as powerful as this."

The dark knight seemed to grin, and he sat up taller. "I'm glad you think so, my dear," he said. "I've studied harder than most for years to obtain this power! But...it is _you_ who has impressed me." He gestured at the entire landscape. "The spell I used was meant to conjure up an image of the one the victim cares for most, in order to lure them here. By the time they realize what is happening, it's already too late." He chuckled and shook his head. "But you, my dear, recognized the danger almost immediately, bravo! A Hoshidan specializing in dark magic is a true rarity indeed!"

Rhajat shook her head. "I've only dabbled in it..." she protested. Her eyes widened. "You...You were that voice! You made me summon those faceless!"

The dark knight nodded. "Yes, I was." he confirmed. "You see, I've been following you for awhile now, my dear. It had taken some digging, but it didn't take long to realize you were a part of _his_ army!" He spat out the word 'his', the dark knight's voice now full of venom. No longer was it gentle and suave.

"Lord Corrin..." Rhajat gripped her scroll. "What is it you want with him?"

"Revenge, my dear, revenge," the dark knight snarled, his mount taking a few steps towards the girl. "His army destroyed my forces, took the lives of my friends, killed my commander Iago, and made me a broken man...But no more!" He threw back his head and laughed, losing his composure. "Now, I have the perfect way to destroy him! Iago, are you not proud of your servant?!"

"You're mad!" Rhajat hissed, standing up. "If you think I'm going to let you-"

She froze as a mangled hand shot out of the water and grasped her throat. More hands grabbed her limbs and forced her down on her knees. The dark knight dismounted his horse and stepped forward, kneeling down on one knee until he was face to face with the diviner. "Hush now, my dear..." he cooed, his voice full of malice. He ran the back of his hand down her cheek. Rhajat flinched away and grimaced. The dark knight laughed hollowly. "Now pay close attention...you are going to lead me to that traitorous brat's army, and you'll witness his demise at my hands!"

And then Rhajat's world faded away.

...

"Selkie?" Velouria asked her friend as they walked through the woods. The wolfskin paused to pick up an owl pellet. She gave it a quick glance before pocketing it, turning back to the kitsune. "You...like Dwyer, right? In a romantic way?"

"Sure do!" Selkie chirped, beaming. "I mean, how can't ya? The guy's great!" She began listing things off on her fingers. "He's sweet, he's caring, he's funny...sometimes, he's always helping out, he's got this really cool mystery vibe coming off of him..."

"Y-Yeah..." Velouria sighed and shook her head. "Do you think...you'd ever tell him how you feel?"

Selkie stopped and sighed, leaning against a nearby tree. She shook her head and smiled sadly. "Probably not," she admitted. "He might be my kinda guy, but I'm definitely not his kinda girl."

"What?" Velouria narrowed her eyes and scoffed. "Please, any guy with common sense would be _drooling_ over you! You're kind, friendly, outgoing, absolutely stunning and gorgeous, and..." The wolfskin shook her head and crossed her arms. "Sometimes, I feel like I'm not...any of that. Like I'm not good enough for a guy to love me." She blinked and blushed. "A-And that's normally fine, I'm perfectly happy with Daddy and Mother, but...ever since I met Dwyer..."

"Aw...Velour..." Selkie murmured, petting her friend's head. "You know what?"

Velouria looked up. "What?"

Velouria yelped in pain as the kitsune suddenly clobbered the top of her head, knocking her down. "Don't put yourself down like that, you dum-dum!" she scolded, baring her teeth. "Jeez, don't you know how beautiful you are?"

"Wha-What?"

Selkie calmed down and took a deep breath, then sat down. "Look, you also like Dwyer, right?" Velouria nodded, looking away. Selkie grinned and shook her head. "No, I'm not mad! I'm happy for you!"

Velouria tilted her head. "You are..?"

"Yeah, you're my best friend, dum-dum!" Selkie beamed. "Your happiness is _my_ happiness! And trust me..." She winked. "I think you have a better chance with Dwyer than I do! He sees me as just a friend and I'm okay with that!"

Velouria frowned and glanced down. "Still, that doesn't mean he would like me..." she pointed out.

"Pfft!" Selkie shook her head. "I think you're just saying that, silly! Of course he would like you! You two are pretty similar after all!" She placed a hand on Velouria's shoulder and spoke again, this time in a softer tone. "Look, Velouria...you like him, right? Then why not just go for it? Why not tell him how you feel? If he accepts your feelings, then hooray! But if he doesn't..." Selkie shook her head. "He ain't the type of guy to just leave you out in the cold like that, I think... He'd take care of you, and he wouldn't want to spend any less time with you."

Velouria bit her lip. "I...I guess..."

"Between you and me, though..." Selkie giggled. "I definitely think you have a good chance!"

"I...I don't know about this, Selkie." Velouria admitted, blushing.

Selkie patted her friend's shoulder and flicked her ears. "Just think about it, okay?"

"I..." The wolfskin sighed. "Okay..." she said, nodding. "I will."

"That's the spirit!" Selkie cheered. She glanced at the sunlight peeking through the forest. "Y'know, we should probably be heading back now before it gets dark." She grinned and helped the wolfskin up. "Wanna race back?"

'No,' Velouria thought. She sighed and nodded, forcing a smile on her face. "Sure, why not?"

...

Later that evening, Velouria sat in the kitchen of the joint housing area her parents shared, lazily poking at her dinner with her fork. She stared at it blankly, not in any mood to eat. She thought about what Selkie had told her, the words sticking with her all throughout the day.

 _"You like him, right? Then why not just go for it?"_

'It isn't that simple,' Velouria thought as she reluctantly brought a piece of steak to her mouth, forcing herself to chew. 'Nothing ever is...'

 _"Between you and me, though...I definitely think you have a good chance!"_

'Doubtful,' the wolfskin sighed.

Would Dwyer actually fall for someone like her? Velouria didn't consider herself unattractive, but when compared to the likes of Ophelia, Selkie, and Caeldori, she didn't really feel beautiful either. She wasn't blind, she didn't not see how the guys would drool while staring at Ophelia's...'suggestive' attire, nor did she miss them ogling at Selkie's long legs or miss how they were often dazed by Caeldori's nature grace. No one ever looked at her in the same manner...It was silly to be jealous over such trivial things, but wolfskin weren't really known for their relationships with humans. Typically only wolfskins found wolfskins attractive.

She briefly glanced up at her parents as they joked over something that had happened earlier, before quickly looking back down at her dinner. Still, her daddy had found love with her definitely-a-human mother...

It wasn't like Dwyer ever stared at the girls like the other boys, either...like, at all. In fact, sometimes she wondered if Dwyer was even _aware_ of the beauty that surrounded him constantly. She couldn't tell whether this was a good thing or a bad thing, as it seemed to both raise and lower her chances with him. On one hand, great! Less competition for her, some would say. But on the other hand...if he didn't even look at them like that, why would he ever spare a glance at her!

She sighed and shook her head, catching the attention of her mother. "Velouria, honey?" her mother, Hana, asked. "Is something wrong? You've hardly touched your dinner, and it's your favorite!"

"Huh?" Velouria glanced up and blinked, then shook her head. "N-Nothing, Mother...Just thinking, that's all."

Hana frowned and put down her silverware, before turning to her husband. Keaton was wolfing down his steak, completely oblivious to the drama happening in front of him. The samurai sighed and shook her head, before kicking her husband's shin roughly, causing him to yelp and drop his plate. "What was that for?" he whined.

"Keaton," Hana growled, nodding her head towards Velouria. "Your daughter is in peril, you dummy!"

"Oh! Uh..." The wolfskin cleared his throat and turned to his daughter. "Velouria, what's wrong?"

Velouria bit her lip and shook her head. "It's nothing," she answered. "I'm fine, Daddy. Don't worry about me."

Keaton frowned. "Baloney!" he scoffed, before scooting his chair over and gently wrapping an arm around his daughter's shoulders. "C'mon, Velouria...you can tell your dad anything!"

"Please, honey..." Hana urged. "If there's anything on your mind, you can tell us!"

"I..." Velouria took a deep breath and sighed. "It's...it's a boy..."

"Oh..." Keaton coughed and was silent for a few moments. "...Do I need to eat him?"

 _"Keaton!"_ Hana barked, scaring her husband.

"I-It was a joke, I swear!"

Velouria shook her head and couldn't help but giggle. "You don't have to eat him, Daddy," she assured, hugging her father. "It's just...I've liked this guy for awhile now, and Selkie keeps telling me I should tell him how I feel, but...I don't know if he'd feel the same."

"Who is it, Velouria?" Hana asked, smiling gently.

"...Dwyer."

"Oh, Jakob's son?" Hana's smile turned into a smirk and she leaned back in her seat, looking up at the ceiling. "Ah, yes...I saw this one coming."

"M-Mother!" Velouria gasped, blushing. "Don't say it like that!"

"I'm just teasing, Velouria." Hana shook her head. "You two are pretty close, from what I can tell. And hey, he is quite handsome underneath that messy crow's nest he calls hair."

"Er...right," Keaton sort of agreed. He cleared his throat again. "Velouria, I can get why you'd be nervous..." he began, looking at Hana. "After all, wolfskin and human relationships aren't exactly common...But!" He raised his index finger. "Your mother is right, you two _are_ close..." He sniffed her and his eyes narrowed. "Maybe too close...I can still smell him on you."

"Daddy!" Velouria hissed. "I was tired, he and I were having a moment, he put me in his bed and disappeared for the rest of the night! It was a few days ago! Nothing happened!"

Hana facepalmed and shook her head, realizing her husband was _not_ good at these sort of things. Leave it to the women to get things done... "Keaton, you can stop," she said, much to her husband's relief. "Velouria... The best things in life are never easy, you know. How do you feel about Dwyer?"

"I...I've never felt this way about anyone," Velouria admitted, blushing heavily. "A-At first, all I ever thought I'd need in life was you and Daddy, but...he makes me feel safe, he makes me feel like I can truly let go and be myself. H-He isn't like anyone I've ever met before!"

"Whoa..." Keaton murmured. "That's...not exactly 'crush' status."

Hana smiled gently and nodded, remembering the feelings she had churning inside her when Keaton had proposed. "Well, Velouria...I think you should tell him!"

"What?" Velouria gasped.

"Yeah, what?" Keaton repeated.

Hana sighed and shook her head. "Velouria...it's obvious you have strong feelings for him, and guys don't just _let_ a girl sleep in their bed," Hana pointed out. "My father told me once that sometimes...all it takes it just two seconds of courage to do something worth doing. I'm not saying you _have_ to, but I believe that you should tell Dwyer of your feelings."

"But..."

"Okay, okay, okay..." Keaton ruffled his daughter's hair and grinned. "Velour, stop telling yourself 'he doesn't like me' and start telling yourself 'what if he DOES like me'!"

Velouria froze and let those words sink into her head. "What if...he does like me..." she murmured, standing up and walking towards the front door.

"Er...Velouria?" Keaton called. "Uh, where are you going?"

Velouria turned back to her parents, a huge smile on her face. "I'm going to tell him how I feel!" she exclaimed, before running outside, the door slamming shut behind her.

...

 **Y'know, I feel like we've all been Velouria. Also yeah, no Dwyer this chapter, but hey! I feel like sometimes you just gotta take a break from the main character and look into the life of another, you feel me? Don't forget to review! And remember, stay wykkyd!**


	26. Dance in the Moonlight

**Welp, here we are, at it again! Let's not stay here any more than we have to, onward to the next chapter!**

 **...**

 _It was chaos. Everywhere he looked, soldiers laid dead. Many of them...his friends. The dark knight silently rode his stead slowly through the carnage, trying to ignore the scent of blood coating the air. If there was any proof of how monstrous war could be, then this was it. The dark knight dismounted his horse and rubbed its neck gently before turning back to the gruesome scene._

 _The traitor's army had done this...for such a small band, they had wiped through them like tissue paper! It was insulting, almost. The dark knight had no time to be offended...as the only survivor, it was his duty to take care of those who had lost their lives. He glanced down at the cavalier who had an arrow from one of Lord Leo's retainers sticking out of his chest. A fine young man who the dark knight had spoken with multiple times. He was to be wed shortly after returning from battle...The dark knight thought of the young fiancee waiting at home for her beloved's return, unaware of the grisly fate he and countless others had received._

 _Iago's body was around somewhere, though the dark knight could not find it in his heart to search for it. Instead he simply fell to his knees, eyes gazing at all the dead through the sockets of his skull mask. Slowly, he took it off and looked towards the sky. As if to mock him, it began raining, and soon, pouring._

 _He was chilled to the bone, but he didn't care. Because there was one thing that was stronger than the rainstorm._

 _His anger. His blood lust._

 _He would find the traitor's army...and he would make all of them pay for this...with their lives._

 _..._

Soleil approached the secret dancing spot as the moon began to shine, humming a small tune to herself. She couldn't help it, she was looking forward to this night. Missing out on her usual session with the sleepy butler had taken a toll on her, one she didn't like to admit. She couldn't tell _why_ she had been so upset. Dwyer was free to do whatever he wanted! Soleil knew she couldn't just drag him through the mud whenever she felt like it. Dwyer was like...a peacock! She had to let him fly!

...could those weird things even fly? Soleil shook her head. That wasn't important. And neither was hanging on to yesterday's disappointment, she had this to look forward to!

Her heart seemed to skip a beat, but she pretended she didn't notice. Soleil stopped her walk and clicked her tongue, glancing around her. There was no sign of Dwyer, and he said he would meet her there. Did he simply fall behind, or was he already waiting for her. If he did, then that meant... 'He made that climb all by himself,' she realized, nodding. 'Huh, well that's pretty impressive, for him at least.'

She could see the rocky wall that served as the secret location's cover, and she began picking up her pace. The flirtatious mercenary stopped in front of the large collection of rocks, and quickly cracked her knuckles before making the climb. She gracefully scaled her way up, humming to herself as she did so, until finally she reached the top.

Glancing down, she saw Dwyer was already waiting for her, his eyes fixing on hers. The mercenary grinned and waved. "Didn't keep you waiting too long, right?" she asked.

Dwyer shook his head. "I only got here about a minute or two ago myself," he explained.

Soleil smirked and folded her arms. "You mean to tell me that _you_ somehow scrambled your way up those rocks without me?" she teased.

Dwyer rolled his eyes and shrugged. "Sure. Whatever."

Soleil frowned and slid down the formation until she was face to face with the sleepy butler. "Yeesh, you gotta have more than that!" she lightly scolded him. "I can't work with just 'sure' and 'whatever', y'know!"

Dwyer smirked . "Sure. Whatever."

His reward was a punch to the arm.

"Anyway, what's the plan for tonight?" Soleil asked, grinning smugly. "After all, asking a girl to dance underneath the moonlight...never knew you had it in you, Dwyer! I'm impressed!"

"Interpret it however you like," Dwyer murmured with a roll in his eyes. "We'll start with the usual, are you ready?"

Soleil took a deep breath and struck a starting pose. "Hit me with your best shot!"

Dwyer shrugged. "Okay then." He sat down on one of the rocks and, after a few seconds, began patting his knees in a rhythm while saying, "One and two, one and two..."

Soleil closed her eyes and moved her left foot forward, then immediately shifted to the side. She stumbled but caught herself, opening one eye to see Dwyer's reaction. There was none, he simply kept the rhythm going, staring at her calmly. He caught her eyes and gave a smile, one which Soleil returned.

"One and two, three and four, and turn!"

Soleil spun around, closing her eyes again as she opened her arms up. She then backed up and shifted to the side, repeating the same motion. The familiar tone of a violin sounded in her head, playing a song only she could hear. Without thinking, she began moving the violin's beautiful solo, throwing her arms back and lifting her leg into the air.

'One and two, one and two...'

She leaned down and slid to the left, opening herself up like a flower blooming underneath the moon's pale light. Her light blue hair bounced along, the moonlight giving it the illusion of glowing. 'I can do this,' she told herself as she began swinging her arms. 'I won't fall behind, Father! You always told me how great of a dancer Grandmother was, and I'll become just a good as her! I swear it!'

She opened one eye and looked at Dwyer, who had given up the rhythm and was now just staring at her in awe. Soleil's cheeks heated up and smile appeared. 'Dwyer, you've been helping me a lot, y'know?'

It was beautiful, _she_ was, admittedly, beautiful. Dwyer had long since given up the rhythm once he realized that Soleil was no longer following it. Instead, there was something else in her mind, and it was working. She wasn't making any mistakes! That's never happened before! Dwyer felt like he was being swept up by her, he was powerless. All he could do was simply watch. He couldn't breathe, but he didn't even notice nor care. The moonlight and Soleil's blue hair gave off the impression of a water spirit moving along with the waves, and Dwyer could watch all night long.

'I gave you a lot of crap to deal with,' Soleil silently told the butler, hoping that the way she danced was telling him that. 'Yet somehow, your stupid butt stuck around! When you first caught me dancing, I was so embarrassed! But then you began helping me, and soon you and I...we became close. We're always at each other's throats, yet somehow we make it work. We're complete opposites, but somehow we work! I don't understand it, and you probably don't either, but Dwyer...'

'You and I...I think we're-'

Her thoughts were cut off once a hand took hers, and her eyes shot open to see that the butler had joined her dance. Smirking, she nodded at him, and the butler wordlessly placed his hand on her waist. The two fluidly kept the dance going, twirling around each other and making the entire clearing their ballroom. The violin was clear now, and now it was being accompanied by so much more. Dwyer could hear it too, Soleil could see it in his eyes.

"Dwyer..."

The butler raised an eyebrow. "Yes, Soleil?" he asked, picking her up and spinning her around.

The flirtatious mercenary chuckled. "You have some of tonight's dinner stuck to your cheek."

The butler paled, and he glanced around for some way to wipe it off. Soleil rolled her eyes and broke away from his hold, twirling around and wiping the food off with one of her gloved hands, before quickly returning to him, the dance never interrupted. "Thanks, Dwyer grunted.

"Eh, the look didn't suit you."

The two wordlessly kept their dance going, and Soleil comfortably rested her head and Dwyer's chest. She felt her stomach churn, though she could not pinpoint why. She closed her eyes and began humming the tune that the two had heard together. The violins and flutes, the trumpets and the soft piano...

'Perfect...' she thought to herself.

"What are you humming?" Dwyer asked her.

Soleil shrugged. "Oh, y'know..." she muttered. "Just the tune we're dancing to, that's all."

Dwyer raised an eyebrow but kept dancing. "That...wasn't even remotely close to what I was dancing to." he admitted.

Soleil blinked. She looked up at the butler and frowned. "Are you telling me we've been dancing to completely different tunes?"

"Er...yes? I think so."

Soleil pulled away from Dwyer, much to his confusion. Soleil then began to giggle, then chuckle, and then finally she fell to the ground and began laughing like a hyena. "Oh my gods, that's rich!" she exclaimed. "We've been dancing to entirely different songs, but somehow we both kept a perfect rhythm?!" She shook her head and grinned. "Jeez, what are the chances of that?!"

Dwyer smirked. "Pretty low," he guessed. "Crazy, though, I'll admit."

"You can say that again..." Soleil sighed and sat up. "Hey, Dwyer?"

"Yes, Soleil?"

The mercenary bit her lip. "That whole dance...it was kinda like us, wasn't it?" she told him. "I mean, even though we were both thinking entirely different things...the dance still worked, didn't it? Kinda like how we really are, yeah? You and me...we're almost complete opposites, yet we're still sticking around somehow."

"I...I didn't think of it like that," Dwyer murmured, before nodding. "But...I can see that. You're right, Soleil."

"I'm always right, Buddy!"

The two stared at each other for countless moments, before Soleil finally turned away with a blush. "Anyway..." She yawned. "Whew! I'm beat, I think I'm gonna hit the hay!"

Dwyer nodded slowly. "Okay...goodnight, Soleil."

Soleil grinned and pulled the butler into a hug. "Yep, goodnight." She then made the climb back up the rocks and gave him a final wave before disappearing. Dwyer stared at the spot where she once was, feeling a little...sad, for whatever reason. Dwyer sighed and moved over to one of the rocks, sitting down on it. He didn't feel like going to bed, even though he knew he would have to wake up early for his new job.

Soleil...in some Nohrian dialect, it meant 'sun'. How spot on could it be? Soleil was bright and cheerful, an outgoing girl who knew just how to get on the butler's nerves...And yet, he found himself enjoying her company more than others. It was strange, she was constantly a thorn in his side but he didn't mind it at all.

His name meant 'black'. Black was dark, black was lifeless, black was cold and by the book. Dwyer could certainly see some of black's traits within himself, and it often seemed like black and sun shouldn't get along at all...

And yet...

"Dwyer."

Dwyer jumped to his feet and turned around, seeing...Caeldori standing in front of him, on top of the rock formation. For a moment, Dwyer's heart froze, worried what Soleil might think if she knew that someone had found their secret dance spot.

"C-Caeldori," he greeted, "what are you doing here?"

The crimson beauty slid down the rocks, albeit with much less grace than Soleil, and stood next to the butler. "Forgive me..." she said, looking away. "I saw you and then Soleil wander off here, and my curiosity got the better of me..." She bit her lip. "You two looked like you were enjoying yourselves..."

"Well I'm glad you enjoyed our show," Dwyer said, coughing. "Caeldori, _please_ don't tell anyone about this, okay? This is my secret, along with Soleil's."

"Oh, don't worry! I wasn't planning on telling anyone!" Caeldori assured, eyes wide. "I, uh...just wanted to ask you something..." She turned away, blushing.

"Okay...what is it?" Dwyer asked.

"Dwyer...do you think..." Caeldori turned back to the butler, taking a deep breath. "You and I...could dance..?"

Dwyer's mind was blank as he processed the question. A dance..? With Caeldori?! Any normal guy probably would've whooped with joy, but Dwyer was more hesitant. "Er..." He wasn't exactly sure how to word it. "It's...kind of my thing with Soleil...I guess..."

Caeldori's face fell, and she looked to the ground and nodded,. "O-Of course..." she agreed. "I'm sorry, it was silly of me to ask, I...I..."

Dwyer's heart fell, and he turned away and sighed. 'Gods, Dwyer, what's wrong with you?' he asked himself before turning back to Caeldori, who was still trying to come up with words. "Actually...sure," he finally said. "Why not?"

Caeldori looked at him with a mixture of shock and happiness. "Y-You mean it?" she gasped, before smiling brightly. "W-Well then..." She took a deep breath and held out her hand, which Dwyer accepted. He put his hand on Caeldori's waist, ignoring her gasp. She, in turn, placed her hand on his shoulder. "Like this, correct?"

Dwyer nodded, and slowly he began to lead her through the dance, patiently guiding her along. Admittedly, she picked it up _a lot_ faster than Soleil ever did, and soon Dwyer began to softly hum a tune for them to move to. Caeldori smiled and closed her eyes, letting Dwyer take full control.

It felt different than his dance with Soleil. Not _bad,_ it was actually quite enjoyable, just different. With Soleil, the two of them had practiced countless times, so dancing with the mercenary felt almost like second nature. They could take each other's hands and just lead into a waltz. With Caeldori...he couldn't tell who was trying to make an impression, but he knew it was one of them.

"Hey...Dwyer?" Caeldori asked.

"Hmm?" Dwyer hummed, keeping up with the dancing.

"I feel like...I never get to properly thank you," she said, glancing away.

"What do you mean?"

"Well...you saved my life from the silkwyrm," the crimson beauty began. "You also healed me when I broke my leg, and..." She sighed. "Look, what I'm trying to say is... I feel like you're the only one that...gets me. You are...an inspiration, Dwyer. You make me feel like sometimes...I _don't_ have to be perfect, I can just be me! You are always so encouraging, and I feel like you've had such a great impact on my life!"

"C-Caeldori..." Dwyer breathed, blushing.

She was blushing also. "And I feel...like I never get the chance to properly thank you," she explained. "I never took the time to just tell you how much I appreciate you for who you are, Dwyer...and..."

"And?" Dwyer asked, raising an eyebrow.

Caeldori smiled softly. "I want to show you how thankful I am..." she whispered. "And the best part about that is..."

Dwyer's entire face was red. "Uh-huh?"

Caeldori closed her eyes. "None of this came from that stupid book," she breathed, before leaning in and capturing Dwyer's lips with her own.

...

Soleil's heart was skipping multiple beats as she walked back to her tent, and she slapped her cheeks in frustration. "Gah!" she cried. "Gods, you're acting like some stupid shrine maiden, for Pete's sake!" She didn't know why she enjoyed being that close to Dwyer the was she was, she didn't know why she felt bad for leaving, she didn't know why she even left in the first place when all she wanted to do was stay!

"This is so confusing..." she muttered to herself.

"Um...is everything alright, Soleil?"

Soleil glanced up and grinned. "Oh, nothing, Velouria!" she assured. "I was just heading back from some training, and I was gonna hit the hay." She raised an eyebrow. "But...what about you? Ain't your home the other way?"

Velouria blushed and looked away, rubbing her arm. "I was...actually wondering where Dwyer was..." she admitted.

Soleil quickly masked her negativity with a false smile. "Oh...why's that?" she asked.

"I was..." Velouria closed her eyes. "I'm going to tell him I love him!" she admitted, pulling her hood over her face.

It felt weird, but Soleil ignored it. "Well that's great!" she cheered, removing Velouria's hood. "Well, I happen to know where he is!"

'Shut up, no you don't!' a voice in her head told her.

"I can take you to him, if you want!" Soleil offered.

Velouria wordlessly nodded, and the two headed off towards the secret dance spot. Soleil ignored the feeling in her belly, telling herself that she was doing the right thing in helping out a friend. Besides, Dwyer and Velouria? There were worst pairings in the world, _way_ worse!

"Just up these rocks!" Soleil pointed out, already beginning to climb. She offered her hand to Velouria and helped the wolfskin up, and the two slowly peeked over the edge. 'What?' Soleil thought as she narrowed her eyes. 'Dwyer and...Caeldori?'

She noticed Velouria freezing up, and she gently placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. 'Calm down,' she thought. 'Calm down, calm down...'

Then the two kissed.

Velouria gasped and turned around, sprinting away. Soleil could hear the choked sobs from the wolfskin, and wanted nothing more than to head down and calm her down. However, she was rooted to the spot, she couldn't look away from the couple.

Even though she felt bad for Velouria...

...she felt her own heart shatter to a million pieces.

...

 **Yep, we've all been Velouria. And Soleil. Soleiria? Veloureil? I don't know. Anyway! Don't forget to review! And remember, stay wykkyd!**


	27. I love him!

**Sorry for the wait, everyone! The internet was a bit funky, so I couldn't upload this sooner.**

 **But in other news, I just finished Echoes...It's pretty cool, but a little too forgiving for my tastes :P Didn't even lose a single unit... But now I just wanna write some fanfiction about Deen, though I have no idea what the plot would even be...Idk, for those of you who have also beaten Echoes, I wouldn't mind being PMed some prompts for a full story lol**

 **Anyway, enough of that...On to the chapter! Next chapter should be up either tonight of tomorrow!**

 **...**

Soleil couldn't tear her eyes away from the sight, as much as she wanted to. Caeldori had still not released Dwyer, but from the mercenary's perspective it didn't seem like the butler minded all that much. Soleil bit her lip and ducked down, not wanting the two to catch her spying on them. What was going on? Why was Dwyer _dancing_ with another girl in _their_ spot?! And now they were kissing?!

She didn't know how to feel. Angry? Betrayed? Her hand settled on her chest and she shivered. Well her heart sure didn't feel alright! The flirtatious mercenary peeked over the rocks again, continuing to watch the odd couple.

"W-Wow..." Dwyer breathed, in a daze. He lightly shook his head. "Caeldori, what-"

'I've fallen for you, Dwyer," Caeldori explained, glancing away. "And...I was hoping you might feel the same..."

Soleil held her breath, not daring to move a muscle. 'Don't say yes,' she silently begged, for reasons she did not know why. 'Please don't say yes!' Her hands gripped the rocky surface tightly, the earth cutting into her skin. She paid it no mind, her eyes trained solely on Dwyer, who had not spoken for a few moments.

"I-I'm sorry!" Caeldori suddenly apologized, backing away. "I-I shouldn't have said anything! J-Just forget this ever happened!"

"Caeldori, wait!" Dwyer called, reaching out and grabbing the crimson beauty's wrist before pulling her back towards him. "Er..." he fell silent once more. Soleil could tell he was thinking, and finally the Dwyer took a deep breath and sighed. "I don't know what exactly a girl like you would find so interesting in a guy like me," he began slowly, a blush forming on his face. "But...But if what you're saying is true then..."

Soleil closed her eyes and buried her face in the ground. 'Don't say it...don't say it...'

"Well, perhaps you and I...can work out..."

The whole world as far as Soleil could tell had ended, and without waiting to hear anything more, she stumbled down the rocky wall and slowly made her way back to her tent, her mind blank. It wasn't until she was finally in the comfort of her blankets that she finally allowed herself to dwell on the situation. Dwyer and Caeldori...together...

She shouldn't have been so upset about it...So they liked each other, good for them! A good friend would've given Dwyer a pat on the back, congratulating him for managing to win the heart of one of the army's most sought after bachelorettes. But...

...they had danced...

...and the secret spot...

She felt many things at that moment. She felt heartbroken, and angry, and betrayed. That was _their_ spot! Just her and Dwyer! Just the two of them, dancing the night away! It was their secret, it was what made them as close as they were! And now...Dwyer had spat all over it...

Didn't he understand how much that meant to her? Didn't that stupid butler realize how happy she was that the two of them had their own special way to bond? Now he was sharing that with someone else! Soleil wiped her tears away and bit her lip until she felt it bleed.

"It's like...it doesn't even matter anymore..." she whispered. Just minutes before, the two of them shared their most passionate dance, and Soleil really felt something there. "Did it ever matter..? Was this all just...some big joke?!"

She pounded her pillow and buried her face in it, her sobs coming out in full now. She had never felt so bad in her life...she felt so low, she could've sank into the earth. Her father taught her to always smile. Well how was she supposed to smile at a time like this?!

The two had danced.

Then they kissed.

And Soleil had to witness it all.

Did Dwyer not value her in the slightest? Was this just a big 'screw you'?! Soleil gritted her teeth and slammed her fist into her pillow. "Well screw you too!" she hissed, continuing the beat her pillow. "Mister 'high and might, who gives a shit about life' butler!"

"Soleil..?" The mercenary jumped and whipped around to see Ophelia poking her head in, her face full of concern. "Is everything alright...?"

"Oh, Ophelia!" Soleil grinned weakly and waved. "Y-Yeah, everything's fine! Why do you ask?"

Ophelia frowned and sighed. "Because my tent is right next to yours and I could hear your crying, that's why." Her face softened. "It's not like you to be so upset...You're worrying me..."

Soleil bit her lip once more and moved to open the tent flap, allowing the dark mage to crawl in. She sat down across from Soleil and placed her hands in her lap, patiently waiting for what her friend had to say.

"It's...It's...Dwyer..." Soleil admitted, wiping her nose against her sleeve. Funny, normally she would be all over Ophelia right now, even if she was in a bad mood... "I...I just..." She felt tears begin to form again. "I just..."

"Shhh..." Ophelia pulled Soleil into a hug and gently rubbed her back, allowing the flirt to calm down. "Take it slow...deep breaths...deep breaths..."

This was a side Ophelia rarely showed, one that rid her of all her usual charisma and showed just how understanding she could be. It was a side only a few ever managed to see, but Soleil was glad someone was around...

"It's just..." She pulled away and looked down at her knees. "You know about the dance sessions between Dwyer and I, right?"

Ophelia nodded. During the first few days of Soleil's dance lessons with the butler, the flirtatious mercenary had let it slip when talking to Ophelia. As such, the dark mage was the only one who knew of what Soleil and Dwyer did. "Did something go wrong?" she asked.

"It...It felt so right!" Soleil exclaimed. "It was just the two of, rest of the world be damned! I don't know what it was exactly, but...I felt like Dwyer and I really had a connection..."

Ophelia raised an eyebrow and gave a sly smile. "That doesn't sound bad at all, though."

"It was great!" Soleil agreed. "But then I left...and I ran into Velouria. She has feelings for Dwyer, y'know...she was going to go confess to him."

"And then?"

"So I agreed to help her, but when we went to the spot I left Dwyer at..." Soleil trailed off and closed her eyes. She didn't speak again for about a minute, and Ophelia noticed that her shoulders were shaking.

"Soleil..."

"He was dancing with Caeldori!" Soleil spat, slamming her fist onto the ground. "A-And then...They _kissed!_ It...It was awful!" Soleil closed her eyes and rapidly shook her head. "I-I mean, sure! I should be happy for him! Any friend should be happy! But how am I supposed to be happy knowing that all that happened...in _our_ spot? What, does he not care about our friendship? Didn't he stop to think 'hey, this might be a bad idea'?"

Ophelia nodded slowly, taking it all in. This was complicated...as much as her 'girl instincts' were screaming for her to take Soleil's side and hate Dwyer...she had to remember that she was friends with the butler as well. She knew Dwyer would never purposefully hurt Soleil's feelings, or anyone else's for the matter. "I don't think his intention was to hurt you..." she began.

Soleil snorted. "Well, too late for that!" she growled.

Ophelia winced. "Soleil, listen..." she pleaded. "Dwyer would never purposefully hurt you! Yes, what he did was bad, but..." The dark mage sighed. "For all his good, even he isn't perfect...to him, it was probably just a dance...He didn't know that you would feel this way!"

Soleil narrowed her eyes and frowned. "And you're the one always going on about how he's a 'chosen one' and all that, yeah?"

Ophelia blushed. "W-Well, I..."

"But you're right...sort of..." Soleil buried her face in her hands. "I guess it doesn't mean anything to him...but to me, it's...I don't even know..."

"Oh, for the love of-" Ophelia gripped her friend's shoulders and pulled her close. "Soleil!" she hissed. "Get this through your thick skull! You _love_ Dwyer!"

"Of course I do," Soleil scoffed. "He's one of my best friends!"

Ophelia gave her a deadpan look.

The mercenary's eyes widened. "W-W-Wait a second!" she stammered, her entire face bright red. "I-I did NOT just hear that!"

"You did," the dark mage replied. "C'mon, Soleil! It's so obvious!"

"I-I think you're reading a little too far into things, Ophelia!" Soleil protested. "I mean...What about you? And Velouria? And Caeldori?"

"It doesn't matter how me or anyone else feels!" Ophelia barked. "All that matters is how _you_ feel!" She took a deep breath and calmed down. "Soleil, I need you to really think about this, okay? I mean, _really_ think about how you feel about Dwyer, alright?"

It was on this day that Soleil learned just how scary Ophelia could be when she dropped the chosen-y act. Nodding slowly, Soleil closed her eyes and obeyed.

Dwyer...when he first arrived, he and Soleil never really got to know each other. She teased him countless times, but nothing ever went beyond that, and Dwyer never seemed to react beyond a lazy roll of the eyes. But one time...there was a more...animated reaction. Soleil remembered feeling guilty, and she tried making amends. Somehow, Dwyer forgave her, and that was the start of a very...odd friendship. They were polar opposites, that much was obvious. Dwyer was lazy to a fault, and never put much effort into their interactions. Still, Soleil didn't mind, it was what she had come to expect.

But then that all changed when he caught her dancing.

She remembered feeling so embarrassed, that on a random impulse she demanded that he teach her to dance properly. And since then...she has gotten to know a side of Dwyer she never saw before. It was strange. They were always at odds, but never in a bad way. Dwyer was the kind to give tough love, and his tough love made Soleil want to better herself because...

'I wanted to please him,' she realized. 'Somewhere along the way, it became less about me and more about him, about _us.'_

The dance they shared tonight, it was like everything she had built up had been released. She wanted to tell him everything, she wanted to show him how much he meant to her. She wasn't trying to show off or rub her new abilities in her teacher's face. It was her best dance because...

"I needed him to know how much I cared for him, how thankful I was for him..." she whispered. "I wanted to dance as well as I can because it was _for_ him! Because...because..."

She remembered how he effortlessly took her hand and joined the dance. She remembered how perfect it all felt, it was just the two of them. She remembered the laughter they shared over the fact that they had been dancing to two completely different songs...but she remembered how it didn't matter. Two different songs...hers was graceful and full of life, expressing the joys of the simple things. It was a bright sunshine of music, one that she made for Dwyer...

She could only imagine what his was like, but she could guess that it was probably more melancholic. A dreary tune that could lull one to sleep, something peaceful that maybe you'd hear playing at the local in. So void of emotion, but so _full_ of it at the same time! Something only Dwyer could possibly imagine, and Soleil wondered if like her song, his was made for his dance partner.

Two different songs, two different people...

...but they fit together flawlessly.

She remembered what she was thinking during the whole ordeal. _"You and I...I think we're-"_

'...meant to be,' she mentally finished, and her eyes filled with tears as she brought a hand to her mouth.

"Oh my gods..." she gasped. "I...I _do_ love him..." She shook her head. "No...this is...I mean, I can't be...he's one of my closest friends, I can't just..." She was struggling to find a solid thought, her head was swirling with so many different emotions.

She felt Ophelia rub her shoulder. "It must be a lot to take in," she offered.

"B-But..." Soleil shook her head again. "How are you so calm about this?! You're crushing on this guy too, y'know!"

"I'm taking care of a friend," Ophelia explained. "Even if I also have feelings for him, it doesn't mean you deserve to be any less happy."

Soleil's shoulder's sagged. "Yeah, well...too late for that," she groaned. "I saw him and Caeldori...I saw him say that he wanted to be with her..."

"Oh..." Ophelia's face fell. "Well, yes...that _is_ an issue, huh?"

Soleil sighed and grabbed her pillow, burying her face in it out of frustration. "Worst. Night. Ever." she moaned.

"I guess...All you can do is be there for him," Ophelia suggested.

Soleil sniffed and wiped away her forming tears. "Y-Yeah..." she murmured. "But honestly, I'm not sure I can face him for awhile...not after tonight." She gave a soft smile to the dark mage. "Thanks for being here, Ophelia."

"Ophelia Dusk, here to serve!" Ophelia replied with a wink. Soleil couldn't help but giggle.

Even with her friend here to distract her, she knew that this situation with Dwyer wasn't going to be so easily solved...

...

Dwyer watched as Caeldori exited the dancing area, swaying her hips as she hummed softly to herself. The moment she was out of sight, Dwyer's shoulders slumped and he ran a hand through his messy blonde hair, trying to process the situation he was currently in.

He was in a relationship with Caeldori.

The butler did not know why he decided to say yes, he knew he had a crush on the crimson beauty, just the same as every other guy, but was that enough to justify this sudden step forward? Hell, this was Dwyer's first relationship, how the hell did these things even work? Did he have to buy her flowers everyday? Chocolates? Did Hoshidans even like chocolate? Would he have to make her tea every morning? He needed answers!

He seriously had no idea what he was getting himself into...he needed advice, but who would give it at this time at night? The first girl that came to mind was Soleil, but she said she was going to go to sleep when she left, and he doubted even the flirtatious mercenary would be cheerful if he woke her up...

Perhaps his mother? Dwyer immediately crossed that option out, shuddering to think of how Charlotte might react...Knowing her, she would probably throw an entire party dedicated to Dwyer 'taking an interest in girls' or something along those lines, much to the inevitable embarrassment of father and son. So no...he couldn't turn to his family for this either...

A sudden name popped into his mind, and Dwyer nodded in satisfaction. Sighing, he made the semi-difficult climb out of the secret area and began making the trek to the home of the dragon, Lilith.

Would the dragon be able to help? Who knows, Dwyer had no idea what the dragon would possibly be able to tell him, but it was probably worth a shot.

Probably.

Lilith didn't seem all too surprised when the butler entered her temple. In fact, she seemed a little chirpy compared to their last encounter. _"Dwyer!"_ she greeted. _"It's great to see you! What have you come here for? Perhaps you wish to know more about that prophecy..?"_

Dwyer winced and shook his head. "I've honestly been trying my best not to think about it," he said. "I was doing a great job too...So thanks for reminding me it exists."

Lilith gave a sheepish laugh and shrugged. _"It's probably best you continue not to dwell on it,"_ she explained. _"Prophecies can be wrong, you know."_

The butler raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't that sort of ruin the whole point of a prophecy?"

 _"I was trying to make you feel better, yeesh..."_ Lilith cleared her throat. _"So what is it you need?"_

"Advice," Dwyer answered, "on...relationships. Romantic ones."

Lilith stared at him blankly. _"You came to a dragon for dating tips?"_ she deadpanned.

Dwyer frowned and glanced away, tugging at his collar. "Okay...it sounds a little stupid when you put it like that..." he murmured.

Lilith sighed and shook her head. _"Go on..."_ she groaned. _"Tell me what happened."_

As Dwyer explained the events that had transpired earlier, Lilith listened attentively, nodding along all the while. Finally, when Dwyer ended his tale, the small dragon took a deep breath. _"I cannot say for certain how you should act,"_ she began, _"but from what I learned from watching the couples around the castle is...just be, I guess. Nothing has to be special, as long as you two are together and happy then that's enough."_ Her eyes hardened. _"But Dwyer...are you certain this is the path you wish to take?"_

Her tone surprised the butler, and he found himself hesitating. Finally he took a deep breath and nodded. "Y-Yeah..." he answered.

The dragon stared at Dwyer for several moments, her expression unreadable. Finally, she sighed and closed her eyes. _"Very well,"_ she said. _"I think you should go now, Dwyer. But please, do come again if you ever need anything."_

Dwyer wordlessly nodded and bowed, before exiting the small temple. Once he was outside he turned towards the collection of tents the other teenagers slept in, and he gave a tired sigh.

He hoped he was doing the right thing.

The last thing he needed was more trouble.

...

 **Oh, Dwyer...there's always trouble! Don't forget to review! And remember, stay wykkyd!**


	28. Caeldori-chan and Dwyer-kun

**Well, another day, another chapter! Let's get this show on the road!**

 **...**

The march was slow and tedious, but the dark knight was in no hurry. After all, he knew the traitor's army would fall in time, he simply had to be patient. He glanced down at his side, where the young Hoshidan girl walked beside him, her face expressionless. The dark knight chuckled and nodded in satisfaction, happy to know his spell was working. The girl was a valuable asset, as the dark knight had no army of his own. Or at least, he _used_ to have no army of his own.

He turned to look at the collection of faceless marching behind him obediently. To tell the truth, he was impressed. The girl's connection to dark magic was strong, even without his own fueling her. The faceless were entirely underneath the girl's control, who in turn was under his own control. As long as he kept the Hoshidan from getting away, then victory was assured.

As much as cannon fodder faceless _could_ be, the dark knight doubted even the traitor and his band of followers would be any match for the overwhelming number of monsters he was prepared to unleash. The dark knight spared another glance at the girl, and he told himself that later he would have to test her ability to summon stoneborn.

 _"My stars, what are those things?"_

 _"Stoneborn, my son...Only the most powerful of mages can summon them, and only the most powerful of them can bend these creatures to their will."_

 _"Father...This monster...it's obeying you without a second thought! How powerful_ are _you?"_

 _"Much more powerful than that foolish sister of yours, boy! She thought she could master the dark arts in such a short amount of time, now look at her! Our family name is tarnished forever because of her misdeeds!"_

 _"Father..."_

 _"Ah, forgive me, my son...it isn't right for me to take out my anger on you."_

 _"Father...I will become a better mage than Sister! You're right, she was foolish! But I will learn! I will become the most powerful mage in all of Nohr!"_

"Who are you, exactly?"

The girl's voice broke through the dark knight's memory, and he stared down at her in surprise. The Hoshidan met his eyes and frowned. "You never told me your name," she continued.

Ah, so the girl managed to break free of the spell. The dark knight turned back to the faceless and noticed one was beginning to stir. He casually flicked his hand towards it, and the grotesque monster resumed its obedient marching. Sighing, he turned back to the Hoshidan and frowned through his fearsome skull mask. "My name doesn't concern you, my dear," he said. "Now hold still so I may put you back underneath my spell..."

"That's just pointless," the girl scoffed, glancing back at the faceless. "I have to keep them under control, don't I? I don't want to die here among them..."

The dark knight smirked, then chuckled. "Good girl," he praised, before raising his hand. "But still, it's a cautionary measure."

He murmured a few phrases underneath his breath, and the girl's body began to glow a deep purple. The Hoshidan yelped and struggled, attempting to break free, but it was no use. The dark knight squeezed his fist, causing the girl to cry out in pain, before he suddenly lowered her to the ground. The girl was still for a few moments, before she began walking without a word, her face as expressionless as before.

The dark knight chuckled and stared straight ahead, and he noticed the approaching storm clouds. Sure enough, rain began to pour, and the girl did not react even though the dark knight knew she must be suffering from the cold.

 _The traitor's army was right ahead of them, he could just make them out. The dark knight took a deep breath and drew his levin sword, nodding at his fellow mages. This was it, the traitor's army would fall here! And the dark knight wished to be the one that landed the finishing blow. Perhaps it would earn him a high position by Iago's side...the dark knight shook his head._

 _Dreams would come later, for now he would have to focus on the battle._

 _He could see the traitor with his head held high, and he could also see the soldiers marching behind him. A rag-tag mixture of both Hoshidans and Nohrians. The dark knight's eyes narrowed, and he was readying himself to charge when he noticed one of the traitor's soldiers in particular. A young mage, with marking covering her body and a very youthful appearance, although her aged eyes would say otherwise._

 _The dark knight drew a breath. 'S-Sister...?'_

The dark knight jumped when a clap of thunder broke his train of thought, and he shook his head in frustration. 'I'm much better than her,' he thought. 'I'm a stronger mage, and one with a more noble purpose!'

Whether or not his dear sister was in the traitor's army or not...

...she would die, just like all the rest.

...

When she had woken up, Velouria felt sick to her stomach. She knew it was too good to be true...why would Dwyer ever love her? She knew she shouldn't have listened to Selkie or her parents, she knew she shouldn't have gotten her hopes up. Velouria shook her head and buried her face in her pillow, trying to will away the image of Dwyer and Caeldori's kiss. Alas, it was stuck there. It kept replaying in her head over and over, and each time it replayed she felt herself grow smaller and smaller.

Why would Dwyer ever fall for a wolfskin like her when he had a beautiful Hoshidan like Caeldori? Velouria's hand went up as she felt her ears, and she suddenly remembered the night she let Dwyer touch them. She blushed and shook her head, throwing her blankets over herself. No! She wasn't going to think about that! Looking back at that moment would only serve to make her hopeful, and Velouria was tired of all the damned lies...

She didn't notice that she was crying again until there was a knock on her door. She wiped her tears away and looked up right as a voice spoke.

"Er...Velouria?" her father began through the other side. "Is everything alright?"

'Daddy...' She wanted to run to him and throw herself over him, and sob into his shoulder and tell her how horrible humans were, but she knew she couldn't. And she knew she wouldn't. Her father wouldn't want that, as much as she loved him, she knew that even he had his limits. Hell, he was probably even reluctant to show up at her door. It was probably thanks to her mother's influence that he showed up at all. She sniffed and nodded, even though her father couldn't see her.

"E-Everything's fine, Daddy," she assured, hiccuping.

"Oh! Uh...that's great!" her father weakly cheered. "I...think?"

 _"Keaton!"_ her mother's familiar sharp voice cut through the air.

She heard her father yelp, before there was another knock at the door. "Um..mind if I come in?" the older wolfskin asked.

Velouria bit her lip and looked away from the door. "N-No..." she answered. "It's okay, Daddy...I'd just...r-rather be alone right now..."

 _"What do I do now?"_ her father whispered, oblivious to the fact that he was loud enough for Velouria to hear.

"Oh, for fu-" The wolfskin heard her mother push her father out of the way, before there was yet another knock. "Sweetie," her mother started. "I know that it might seem like the end of the world, but...sometimes we simply have to accept things for the way they are. You'll find another boy, I'm sure..."

"But I don't _want_ another boy!" Velouria snapped, annoyed by her parents hovering outside the door. "None of the other boys here even come _close_ to Dwyer! I-I thought he and I had a connection..." She blushed and folded her arms across her chest. "I let him pet my _ears,_ Mother!" she admitted. "D-Do you have any idea what that means?!" She scoffed. "No, you don't! You're not a wolfskin, so there's _no way_ you'd know!"

She was surprised that she was actually arguing with her parents right now, something that she never before had any reason to do. Apparently, her parents were just as surprised.

"Y-Young lady!" Keaton stammered. "Y-You don't talk to your mother that way!"

"Well then why don't you tell her?!" Velouria snarled. "Go ahead and tell Mother what that means!"

There was some silence, before Hana spoke up. "Keaton...what does that mean?" she asked.

"It...it..." She heard her father sigh and lower his voice. _"A wolfskin typically only lets someone they truly trust and love touch their ears. It's about as intimate as we can possibly get, besides...you know."_

"Oh my gods..." she heard her mother gasp. "V-Velouria, I am _so_ sorry, I had no idea-"

"It's fine, Mother..." Velouria grumbled, laying down on her bed. "I just...I just really need to be alone right now."

"...I understand," her mother sighed. "Let's go, Keaton..."

She heard her mother walk away, but her father lingered behind. "Velouria..." he began.

"Please, Daddy..." Velouria murmured, already feeling more tears form. "Just go..."

"I...okay..." She heard her father's footsteps fade away.

Velouria clutched her pillow and sobbed into it, shaking her head over and over. 'Why was I so stupid...?' she asked herself. 'Why...did I have to fall in love with him?'

...

When Dwyer walked into the kitchen to make the camp's breakfast, he did not expect to see his new girlfriend already preparing the food, wearing an apron over her clothes and her chef's hat comically tipped to one side. Dwyer raised an eyebrow and slowly stepped inside the kitchen, closing the door behind him. This caught Caeldori's attention, and she turned to him with a smile. "Oh, Dwyer!" she greeted. "I was wondering when you'd show up!"

"Good morning, Caeldori," Dwyer greeted with a yawn, before putting on his own apron. "Now, I'm not complaining, but what exactly are you doing here? I thought I assigned Flora on cooking duty...?"

"Oh, right..." Caeldori blushed and gave the butler a small grin. "Well, I told her I'd take care of it! I want to be a help to you, after all..."

"Well it's nice that you're thinking of me," Dwyer muttered as he looked over the crimson beauty's shoulder. "But you really didn't have to..."

Caeldori frowned. "A-Are you saying that what I'm doing is wrong..?" she asked him, glancing down.

Dwyer's brain had a panic attack. "N-N-Not at all!" he assured her. "B-But Lord Corrin said we were going to march today...I assigned Flora to cooking duty because I knew she'd make the army a good meal..."

"Well you have your apron on, don't you?" Caeldori pointed out, gesturing to the apron Dwyer was indeed wearing. "Let's cook together, then!"

"I..." Dwyer sighed and shook his head before smiling softly. "Fine...you win..."

Caeldori beamed and gave the butler a peck on the cheek, much to his surprise and embarrassment. Caeldori laughed and covered her hand with her mouth. "Oh, you're blushing!" she teased, before winking.

'It's...it's like a whole 'nother side of her...' Dwyer thought as he watched the girl cook. 'Do I really have this much of an effect on her?' If he did...then he couldn't tell whether or not that was a bad thing. He didn't hate this side of the pegasus knight, it was just strange...

Shrugging, the butler watched as Caeldori put a loaf of bread in the oven, then she began focusing chopping up the sausages. 'She's actually...doing a good job,' Dwyer noted, and for once he was at a lost for what to actually do. 'I guess I can get started on the eggs...'

The two cooked in relative silence, save for the occasional mention of each other's dishes.

"Caeldori, make sure not to burn the meat," Dwyer cautioned as he stirred the batter for the pancakes.

"Alright, thanks!"

The two soon had an entire breakfast set up for the army, and just on time. They could hear the army's idle chatter from the mess hall, as well as Miss Effie's "Where's the damn food?!"

Dwyer winced. "We...should probably get to serving this," he suggested. He was about to get the plates ready when he noticed Caeldori was standing still. "Caeldori..?"

The crimson beauty broke into a smile. "We make quite the team, don't we?"

Dwyer smiled back and nodded. "Yeah, I guess we do." he answered.

The two glanced outside the kitchen, and saw that Miss Effie was at the front of the line, a fork and knife already in her hands as she was breathing heavily. Behind her, several members of the army were, for some reason, cowering in fear. Dwyer raised an eyebrow but decided it would be best if he didn't ask any questions.

The butler and the pegasus knight served the army as best and as fast as they could, before they decided it was time for them to get some food for themselves. As Dwyer stacked his plate with pancakes, a sudden movement caught his eye. He turned and saw that Soleil was moving to an unoccupied table, and he noticed she looked...sad, miserable even. The mercenary caught his eye and blushed, before quickly turning away. DWyer raised an eyebrow. 'Is something...wrong?' he wondered, making a move to go sit by her.

Caeldori's arm suddenly looped around his. "C'mon, Mitama's waiting for us!" she said, dragging the butler over to where the poet was waiting. Mitama looked at them with a questionable expression, before she shrugged.

"Well, can't say I expected this relationship to blossom," she admitted as she took a sip of water. "Unexpected love/ A soldier and a servant/ Bright red and dull blonde."

Dwyer frowned. "My hair is not dull." he argued.

"I like your hair," Caeldori offered, running her fingers through it. "Both my parents have red hair, and apparently so did my grandmother, red runs in the family. Though sometimes I wish it was more like yours, two unique hair colors to choose from..."

'That's the first time I heard someone call blonde unique,' Dwyer thought to himself. "Thanks," he grunted.

Caeldori beamed.

Mitama rolled her starry-eyes and groaned. "My gods, I'm already sick of it," she murmured, before putting on a fake grin. "So, you two just started dating?"

"Last night," Caledori answered.

"Uh-huh..." Mitama yawned and wrote something down in her notepad. "Well, if nothing else, it should provide some interesting material for me to work with."

Dwyer shrugged. "Happy to help."

Caeldori cleared her throat. "You know...I'm a little sad to be marching again," she admitted, changing the subject. "I really liked that village we were staying near."

Dwyer nodded and glanced up. "Y'know...I'll miss that village too," he agreed. After all, it wasn't everyday that they had a festival thrown in their honor.

"Perhaps we'll be able to visit again someday," Mitama offered, smiling gently. "And I'm sure they'd welcome us anytime."

"Yeah..." Caeldori looked down. "I guess...I don't know, I just thought it would be fun if Dwyer and I had our first date there..."

Dwyer choked and nearly spat out his food, earning him curious looks from the two Hoshidan girls. He chuckled awkwardly and stood up. "Eh...excuse me for a moment," he said, before rushing off to Lord Corrin's table. His hands slammed against the wood, startling the army's leader and his family.

"Er, Dwyer?" Lord Corrin asked. "What are-"

"We can't march today!" Dwyer hissed.

Lord Corrin raised an eyebrow. "Um...why not?"

"We just can't!"

Lord Corrin frowned. "Um...well, I don't know..." he began. "Ryoma and Xander say we have to get a move on, or-"

"I'll do anything!" Dwyer gasped, glancing back at Caeldori, who was staring at him, clearly confused.

Lord Corrin opened his mouth to argue, but then he sighed and shook his head. "I...I'll see what I can do," he said. "But I can't make any promises."

"Thank you!" Dwyer said, bowing. He headed back to his table and sat down, gasping. "Well, that might work..."

"Dwyer..." Caeldori began. The butler glanced up at the crimson beauty, who had a large blush on her face. "You...you postponed the march...for me?"

"Er..." Dwyer hoped that he was acting 'boyfriend' enough. "...yes?"

"Oh, Dwyer!" Caeldori scooped the butler up in a hug and gave him a kiss on the lips. "You're the best boyfriend ever!"

That caught the attention of pretty much everyone in the mess hall, and they all turned to face the new couple. Dwyer could hear them murmuring to themselves, until finally Asugi stepped forward. "Yo, Naps!" he called out, putting his hands on his hips. "You and Caeldori are dating?"

Before Dwyer had a chance to answer, Caeldori wrapped herself around his arm and nodded happily. "We sure are!" she chirped. "We confessed to each other last night!"

Asugi broke out into a grip and clapped Dwyer's back. "Well that's great!" he praised. "Way to go, Naps!"

One by one members of the army came forward and congratulated the two...except one.

Soleil stared at the couple sadly, before she wordlessly grabbed her food and dumped it, exiting the mess hall to go be alone. 'Dammit!' she hissed. 'Dammit, dammit, dammit!'

...

 **Caeldori: The most likely to fall head over heels in love. I took that one snippet of her description and used that as pretty much all the inspiration I needed :P Also! As one reviewer put it: The scary part of having a harem.**

 **MadcapErikaSparkle, you're the real MVP.**

 **Don't forget to review! And remember, stay wykkyd!**


	29. Nah Meets a Famous Guy

**Internet keeps being dumb, although we have been getting a lot of storms around where I live lately... Oh well, that doesn't matter. I was finally able to get this out, so woo!**

 **As usual, enjoy the chapter, everyone!**

 **...**

"Postpone the march?!" Takumi hissed, shaking his head. "Corrin, why would you come to a stupid decision like that?"

'Oh, because my head of staff suggested it, of course,' Corrin thought, flinching. Yeah...he was really starting to regret taking Dwyer's request into consideration, and to top it off the young butler hadn't even given a reason as to _why_ he wanted the march postponed. 'Am I growing too soft?' the dragonic prince wondered. Anna did say that he was too nice for his own good, and although he never really believed her...

...he was starting to see where she was coming from.

He had met up with his four brothers inside the war tent to discuss delaying the march, and judging from their reactions, they didn't seem too keen on the idea. Takumi had made his protest immediately, while Ryoma and Xander shared a suspicious glance, their arms folded across their chests. Leo had his hand to his chin, and seemed to be doing some serious thinking about the whole matter. Corrin gulped and tugged at his collar awkwardly.

"Actually," Leo spoke up, peering down at the map of the whole continent. "We probably could delay the march for another few days..." He looked up at Corrin, and his eyes narrowed. "Although I do have to ask just why you want us to postpone the march, brother. It isn't like you to suddenly change plans."

"Oh! Uh...well, I want us to postpone the march because, uh..." Corrin could feel himself beginning to sweat. 'C'mon, Corrin, think!' he urged himself. 'There's gotta be a better answer than 'because Dwyer said so'!'

"Well?" Ryoma raised an eyebrow and sighed. "Corrin, let's just forget about it..."

"XANDER!" Corrin suddenly cried out as a genius realization struck him. He jabbed a finger at his older brother and gulped. "Y-You and Mozu...Your anniversary is tomorrow, right? RIGHT?!"

There was silence.

Xander's eyes slowly widened, and he slapped his forehead in frustration. "Gods, you're right!" he hissed. "How could I forget all about that?!"

"Y-Yeah..." Corrin sighed in relief. "I-I just thought that maybe you would like to spend a nice evening with her, that's all..."

Leo sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't understand why that was so hard to tell us, but I'll let it slide," he said. "The march can be postponed until the day after tomorrow, but when that day comes we head out first thing in the morning."

Corrin nodded. "Thank you, Leo."

Well, that part was over with...He might as well go tell Dwyer the good news. Corrin said his goodbyes to his brothers and exited the tent, shaking his head. 'The things I do for my friends...' he mentally groaned.

...

"Oh, I can't believe my son is going on a date!" Charlotte cooed as she tugged the comb out of Dwyer's messy hair. "You know, your father was convinced that you would turn out-"

"You already mentioned that story once before," Dwyer interrupted, putting his face in his hands. "And Mother, you don't have to treat me like a child anymore. It's not like I haven't gone out with people before." Seriously, did she need to make such a big deal of it? After Caeldori had announced that the two were dating and Corrin had given Dwyer the 'okay' to postpone the march, Charlotte had been quick to swoop him up and give him her so called 'top-notch dating advice'.

"Yes, you've gone out with _friends,"_ Charlotte agreed, "but this is different!" She tilted his head to the side and tried to get rid of a pesky knot of hair. "Now remember, be on your best behavior! Shower her with compliments, show her what a great guy you are, and remember to use-"

"That's quite enough, Charlotte!" Jakob butted in, coughing awkwardly. He cleared his throat and turned to his son. "Dwyer, just don't do anything stupid," he advised. "That should be enough."

Dwyer nodded, thankful for his father's advice. Charlotte scowled but didn't say anything. She finished fixing Dwyer's hair and ordered him to turn around. Dwyer reluctantly did so with a roll in his eyes, and Charlotte clicked her tongue as she inspected him. Finally, she nodded and clapped her hands together. "Perfect!" she beamed. "You look so handsome!"

Dwyer sighed, not sure if he truly believed his mother's compliment. After all, wasn't complimenting her child a mother's job? Dwyer glanced over at Jakob, who simply nodded in agreement. "You look good," his father offered.

Dwyer frowned and shrugged, before waving goodbye to his parents and exiting their living quarters. The moment the door closed behind him, Dwyer ran his fingers through his hair until it was back to its original messy self. There was several things about his parents he managed to put up with on a daily basis, but attempting to comb his hair was something they _knew_ he hated, ever since he was a young child.

 _Pretty soon you won't have that anymore,_ a voice in the back of his head reminded him. Dwyer stopped walking and stared at the ground, clenching his fist. Yeah, that's right...by the end of the month, his parents wouldn't be around anymore. They would be moving to the village he grew up in, effectively retiring from the army.

He'd be alone...

The butler shook his head. No, he wasn't going to think about that. Besides, he had his friends to help him if anything went wrong. Soleil, Ophelia, Velouria, Asugi, Selkie, Mitama...

'Caeldori,' Dwyer added.

And speaking of the crimson beauty, Dwyer caught sight of her exiting her tent and making her way towards him, waving to catch his attention. Dwyer smiled gently and waved back before walking over to her. The two met halfway and Caeldori grinned.

"I can't believe you managed to convince Lord Corrin to cancel the march!" she gasped as they walked towards the portal leading to the outside the astral plane.

Dwyer shrugged. "It wasn't exactly me," he corrected her. "Lord Corrin was the one that somehow convinced everyone _else_ to cancel the march."

"But still," Caeldori argued, "to do something like that just for my sake...you really are a great guy, aren't you?"

The butler blushed and glanced away, shaking his head. "Er...I guess," he muttered.

"Dwyer?"

The butler glanced at his girlfriend and raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

Caeldori smirked. "You were blushing again."

Dwyer frowned and scoffed. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You're still blushing!"

"I'm not!"

Caledori ignored him and pointed ahead. "Well, we've already reached the portal," she told him.

Dwyer sighed and led Caeldori through it, and after a brief flash of light the two found themselves overlooking the small village. Caeldori stumbled, but the butler caught her before she could fall. Caeldori blushed and murmured her thanks before dusting herself off. Dwyer groaned and blinked the light away. To tell the truth, going through the portal could be a little dizzying at times, and Dwyer still remembered his first time.

Long story short, it was a mess.

"So...what do you want to do once we reach the village?" Caeldori asked once the two teens had fully recovered.

Dwyer froze, and opened his mouth to speak. However, his mind drew a blank, and all he can do is shrug. "I guess...we just go wherever the road takes us," he answered. "I'll admit, I haven't put much thought into it."

"Oh..." Caeldori looked down and bit her lip, before suddenly perking up again. "Well thankfully," she offered, "I remember this lovely Hoshidan-style restaurant that I was invited into during the festival they held for us." She smiled gently and took the butler's hand. "I think you'd really enjoy it!"

Dwyer couldn't help but smile, and he nodded in agreement. "Okay," he said, "lead the way!"

...

 _Knock-Knock_

Velouria's eyes opened, and she groggily turned her head to the door. She frowned and sat up, yawning. She glanced out her window and saw that morning had come. The wolfskin sighed and pulled her knees up to her chin, biting her lip softly.

How could she have said those horrible things last night? Did her parents hate her now? Would they ever forgive her..?

Velouria buried her face in her arms and squeezed her eyes shut to keep more tears from coming out. 'I-I can't cry!' she told herself. 'After what I said to them...I have no right to cry!'

Her eyes opened. "Dwyer..." she murmured, sniffing. "You would know what to do...right?"

Another knock. "Velouria? It's me..."

Velouria lifted her head. "S-Selkie?"

"I came to check up on you..." Selkie paused. "Your...your parents told me you were really upset...Can I come in?"

Velouria opened her mouth to say 'no', but closed it. She sighed. "C-Come in," she invited.

The door opened, and the kitsune slowly entered before closing the door behind her. The first thing that Velouria noticed was that Selkie was not her usual cheerful self. The kitsune's face was hesitant and worried, and her ears and tail drooped. Even her clothing seemed much more dull. Selkie sat down in front of Velouria, and for a minute or two they didn't say anything. Finally, Selkie glanced away and opened her mouth to speak.

"Caeldori and Dwyer announced that they were dating this morning," she informed the wolfskin. "Since I didn't see you at breakfast, I knew something must have been wrong, so I hurried over as fast as I could."

"..." Velouria's ears drooped.

"...I'm sorry..."

"Huh?" Velouria looked at her friend in confusion. "You're...sorry?" she repeated. "For...for what?"

"This is my fault..." Selkie choked out, tears forming. "I-I gave you this false hope...Oh gods, if only I kept my mouth shut...I-I...messed everything up..." Selkie looked at Velouria and broke into a sob. "I'm so sorry!" She flung herself over Velouria, wrapping her arms around the wolfskin as she cried into her shoulder, hiccuping 'I'm sorry' over and over.

"S-Selkie..." Velouria whispered, her own tears coming back. "Don't...don't say that...you...you did nothing-" She broke into a loud cry and returned the kitsune's embrace, and the two cried for what seemed like hours. "You didn't do anything wrong!" Velouria sobbed. "Don't blame yourself for this, please!"

Meanwhile, Keaton listened in on the two girls from outside the room, and he brought a hand up to his face. 'I can't even get in there and comfort my own daughter,' he thought bitterly, slamming his fist down onto the wall. 'Some father I am...'

What was he supposed to do in this situation? He could ask Hana, he _should_ ask Hana...except he wouldn't. Not this time. As a father, it was his duty to sort this out. He needed to figure this out for himself. Anything, _anything_ to make Velouria smile again. He...he didn't like to see her like this.

'She let him pet her ears,' he remembered, frowning.

Dammit, it was no wonder why she was so heartbroken. She was practically an adult now, of course she would be seeking something like that. Of course it would be someone she loved and trusted, of course it would be that damned butler.

His reasonable side was clashing with the spirit of the wolf inside of him. He wanted to find Dwyer, and he wanted to make him pay for hurting his little girl! But...he had to remember that Dwyer was a human. Humans did not understand the life of a wolfskin. Hell, his own damn _wife_ didn't understand at times! But that was how it worked... If a human was to enter a relationship with a wolfskin, then of course there would be problems. Keaton may have been stupid...but there was no way he was THAT stupid!

'I gotta do something,' he thought, pushing himself off the wall he was leaning against. 'I _will_ do something!'

Anything for Velouria's sake.

...

The restaurant was lively and joyful, and Dwyer couldn't deny that the feeling was...tolerable. He wasn't normally one for these sort of environments, but his time at Lord Corrin's castle had taught him one thing: deal with it.

And so deal with it he did.

Dwyer watched as Caeldori expertly picked up a role of sushi with her chopsticks, something he was failing miserably at. He studied her hand motions carefully, before trying to mimic them. The sushi slipped right out of the utensils, and Dwyer groaned and slammed his face of the table. "Just put me out of my misery already..." he murmured.

Caeldori shook her head. "Dwyer, let me help," she offered, reaching over.

"I don't want help..."

The crimson beauty rolled her eyes. "You know, they will give you a fork if you really need one." she explained.

Dwyer glanced up, then sighed and motioned for the waiter to come forward. "I'd like a fork, please..." he requested reluctantly. The waiter shared a look with Caeldori, before smirking and nodding. The waiter disappeared into the crowd, and Dwyer finally pulled himself back up. "Well, now I feel embarrassed," he admitted, glancing around the restaurant. "From what I can tell, no one else needs a fork."

Caeldori shrugged. "Your parents are both Nohrian," she pointed out. "It makes sense that you wouldn't know how to use chopsticks."

The waiter came back and handed Dwyer a fork, which the butler took with a small 'thanks'. Dwyer sighed and shrugged. "I guess..."

Caeldori smiled softly. "I really could've helped you," she reminded him. "I don't mind at all."

Dwyer nodded. "I'll think about it," he said, digging his fork into his food and taking a bite. "But for now, I'll just stick to what I know."

"Well while we're eating, let's talk about something." Caeldori took a deep breath. "Dwyer, are you happy with us being together?"

Dwyer blinked. 'Where did that come from?' he asked himself. He coughed. "What kind of question is that?" he wondered. "Of course I'm happy!"

Caeldori bit her lip. "Nothing, it's nothing..."

Dwyer sighed and put his fork down, reaching over and grabbing Caeldori's hand. The crimson beauty blushed and squirmed. "Look," Dwyer began. "I wouldn't have said yes anyway if I didn't want this." He narrowed his eyes and frowned. "So stop saying things like that, okay?"

Caeldori's blush deepened, but she smiled and nodded. "Okay," she agreed. "Dwyer...you really are the best boyfriend ever. You know just exactly what to say!"

'I do?' Dwyer raised an eyebrow. Well, at least he was doing something right. He smiled. "Thank you, Caeldori."

The Hoshidan nodded and leaned in, giving the butler a peck on the lips. Dwyer froze and glanced around, noticing that there were two waitresses watching them. Dwyer felt something break, probably his dignity, when he saw one reluctantly hand the other some money.

'What, is it so unbelievable that I'm in a relationship that it's worth betting over?!'

Caeldori pulled away and smiled, taking a bite out of her sushi. "The food here sure is good," she commented.

"Y-Yeah..." Dwyer looked down at his plate, but didn't touch the food.

'Isn't there...supposed to be something?' Dwyer wondered, frowning. 'A spark...or fireworks? Isn't that what happens when you kiss someone?'

So why did he...feel nothing?

"Dwyer?"

Dwyer glanced up at Caeldori, who was staring at him curiously. "Hm?" he hummed.

"You seemed quiet, that's all..." Caeldori glanced down nervously. "Do...do you not like it here?"

"T-That's not it!" Dwyer quickly protested, before sighing. "Sorry, I'm just thinking, that's all..."

"I understand," Caeldori said, smiling gently. "You're so young, but you're already the boss of all the servants back at the castle! That must cause a lot of pressure for you, huh? It's a lot of responsibility for someone our age..."

"Er...yeah," Dwyer agreed. 'Sure, let's go with that,' he decided. Anything to keep himself distracted. "I'm not sure whether or not I can live up to my father's expectations."

"I get that too," Caeldori agreed. "My father seems like he's on a level that I'll never be able to reach...I imagine that this job makes you feel the same..."

Dwyer wordlessly nodded. Yes, he could definitely see the similarities.

"But you know what?" Caeldori beamed and placed her hand on top of Dwyer's. "When I'm with you...I don't feel like I need to reach that level! When I'm with you, I can just be Caeldori!" She rubbed her thumb against his knuckles. "So...I'll do the same for you. Around me, you can just be...Dwyer. With me, you don't have to compete with your father, you don't have to be head of staff...You're just you!"

"Caeldori..." Dwyer breathed, before smiling. "Thanks...I feel a lot better now."

"DWYER!"

The two jumped and turned around, and a young girl slammed her fists onto the table, her eyes trained solely on Dwyer.

"N-Nah?!" Dwyer gasped, eyes wide. "W-What are you doing here?!"

Caeldori glanced between the two, confusion written all over her face. "Do you two...know each other?"

"K-Kinda..." Dwyer answered, before turning back to manakete. "Nah, what are you doing here?" he repeated. Then he paused before shaking his head. "And why do you suddenly know my name?"

"I needed to apologize!" Nah hissed, slamming her fists on the table again. "Dwyer, I had no idea that when I rescued you I rescued such a sensation!"

'Sensation?' Dwyer thought.

'Rescued?' Caeldori repeated.

"Can you...can you..." Nah took a deep breath and pulled something out of her pocket, shoving it in the butler's face. "CAN YOU GIVE ME YOUR AUTOGRAPH?!"

Dwyer looked at the book in confusion, reading the title slowly. His face turned bright red. 'Dwyer and Ignatius: Wilderness Passion?!' What was going on?!

Suddenly, he had an answer...and an explanation to why Nina was acting so awkwardly around him.

Dwyer slammed his face into the table in frustration. "I give up!" he groaned. "Just kill me now!"

...

 **Well that was a thing...Don't forget to review! And remember, stay wykkyd!**


	30. One Will Lead to Heartbreak

**Sorry for the wait, I've been working a lot lately so I needed to catch up on some sleep...yeah, I practically stayed in bed all this time. And binged Yu-Gi-Oh! God, that show is so long...Not to mention all the sequel series...It's hectic!**

 **But anyway, we're now roughly...half way through the story, if my planning ahead was okay enough. I don't know, I have the rest of the story planned out and a rough estimate of chapters, but anything is up for change. But anyway, enough of that. Enjoy the chapter, everyone!**

 **...**

Dwyer yawned as he waved goodbye to Caeldori. The crimson beauty blew a kiss at him before disappearing into her tent, leaving Dwyer flustered and alone. A sudden breeze passed by him, causing the butler to shiver. He glanced up and noticed that the sun was setting. Dwyer narrowed his eyes and shook his head. Well, there was no sense staying out here and catching a cold, he thought as he made his way back to his own living space. Although the butler was surprisingly not that tired, he figured he could go tidy his place up. With everything that has been going on lately, he hadn't had time to fulfill his duties.

And even though his father was acting much more nice, Dwyer still did not want to gamble with fate.

Dwyer made his way to his room, but when he was just about to go inside he paused. Something...wasn't right. Narrowing his eyes, he glanced down at his door, and noticed that it wasn't closed all the way. Dwyer knew right then that something was wrong, he would _never_ forget to close his door, which meant...

Someone had broken in.

But who? And why? As far as Dwyer could tell, no one would have any reason to enter his room while he wasn't there. Well, maybe Nina, but she was more careful than this. Gulping, Dwyer pulled out his silver dagger and held it in front of him in a defensive position. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the door open and stepped inside.

He didn't make it halfway inside before something suddenly tackled him, and Dwyer felt air leave his entire body as he was slammed into the ground. Gasping, he looked up, and his eyes widened.

"M-Mister Keaton..?" he wheezed. "Wha-"

"You have a lot to answer for, kid!" the wolfskin snarled, baring his teeth. "And if you answer wrong, I'm gobbling you up!"

"What are you talking about?!" Dwyer cried. "And how long have you been waiting in my room?!"

"Four hours!" Keaton answered, shaking his head. "B-But that's not important! You know why I'm here!"

Dwyer stopped struggling and tilted his head. "Uh...no, I don't think I do," he said, "or else I wouldn't be asking what you're talking about..."

"Velouria!" Keaton barked. "I'm here about Velouria!"

The butler's eyes widened. "Did something happen?" he frantically asked, beginning to struggle once more. "Is she alright?"

"No, of course she isn't!" Keaton spat, pinning down Dwyer once again. "And it's _your_ fault!"

"My fault?!"

"Yes, your fault!"

Dwyer's eyes narrowed. "How's it my fault?" he asked.

Keaton opened his mouth to speak, but he paused, then closed it once more. "Wait...you have no idea what I'm talking about?"

"Wasn't that obvious?!" Dwyer hissed. "And will you please get off?! I know Nina's watching us right now, and I'd rather her not get the wrong idea!"

A small 'eep!' was heard, and the two could hear the sound of footsteps running away.

The wolfskin hesitated, before sighing and crawling off of the butler. He offered his hand, and Dwyer accepted it. Dwyer shook his head and dusted off his clothes. "Anyway," he grumbled, "if Velouria's in trouble then I should go check up on her." He turned around and started walking away, but Keaton suddenly grabbed his arm, stopping him.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Keaton warned, his face carved from stone. "The reason she's like this is your fault."

"You keep saying that, but I don't know what you mean!" Dwyer groaned in frustration.

Keaton took a deep breath. "Look, kid...do you know about Velouria's feelings towards you?"

Dwyer's face turned red, and he took a few steps back. "H-Her what?!" he gasped.

Keaton winced. "So that's a no..." He shook his head. "Guess I ruined the surprise or somethin'..." He ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, she likes you. Can't see why, though..."

Dwyer wasn't sure what to think. Velouria had...feelings for him? Why? And when? The butler groaned and shook his head, sinking to the ground.

"Last night she left saying she was gonna go confess to ya," Keaton explained. "But pretty soon she came running back past us, crying her heart out." The wolfskin's ears flattened and his lips curled into a snarl. "So...what did you do to her?"

Dwyer shook his head and closed his eyes. "I...I don't know," he admitted. "I didn't even _see_ Velouria last night, I was with..." He trailed off, and slowly things began to click. "...Caeldori..." he finished, before bringing a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Oh, gods..." he groaned. "I don't feel so good..."

Velouria...she must have seen him and Caeldori. She must have been just at the top of the rocks, and she witness them share a dance _and_ a kiss. Dwyer's face went pale as he thought about how the wolfskin must've felt. Velouria wasn't like the other children. She wasn't exactly...emotionally stable. She did a good job at keeping it under wraps, sure, but when the situation was bad enough...

...her heart must've actually shattered.

'I...I hurt her,' the butler thought as he tried standing up. He stumbled, but Keaton caught him before he could fall flat on his face.

"So...I'm guessing you figured out what happened," Keaton said.

"I...I gotta see her," Dwyer decided. "I gotta apologize to her."

"Still not convinced that's a good idea," the wolfskin cautioned. He was silent for a few moments, before taking a deep breath. "Kid, I want you to be perfectly honest with me...did you ever pet Velouria's ears?"

Dwyer's face turned bright red once more as he remembered the night he found out about his head-of-staff position. Gulping, he nodded. "Yes...?" he hesitantly answered.

'Well, Dwyer...you had a good run,' he thought as he closed his eyes.

"Well shit."

Dwyer opened one eye and was surprised to find that Keaton wasn't attacking him. In fact, the wolfskin had his back turned to the butler, running his hands through his hair wildly.

"Mister Keaton..?" Dwyer hesitantly called out.

Keaton turned back to Dwyer, shaking his head. "Well, you humans never learn anything unless we tell ya, so..." The wolfskin sighed and bit his lip. "It may not seem like much to you humans, but to a wolfskin...petting our ears is pretty much as intimate as we can get. It's a sign of unwavering trust and love to us, especially when someone outside our race does it."

"..." Dwyer fell to his knees, eyes fixed on the ground.

"So now do you see the bigger picture here?" Keaton asked. "It might not seem like it to you, but you're probably the closest thing Velouria has to a mate..."

"I..I..." Dwyer shook his head and tried to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach.

"I, er..." Keaton sighed. "I'm gonna guess you're gonna need some time..." He started walking away, but he turned around to speak one more time. "Also, if you're planning on going to Velouria for this...give it a day or two, I don't think you two seeing each other is the smartest move..."

Go see Velouria? Dwyer had to agree with Keaton, that did sound pretty stupid. But how could he just stay here processing all that information? Dwyer slowly rose to his feet and stumbled, barely managing to catch himself.

What should he do? Dwyer narrowed his eyes and slammed his fist into the wall of his home. There were no easy answers to this...

He was still reeling over the recent revelation. Velouria had feelings for him? And he had unknowingly spat all over them... Dwyer held his hand up to his face, frowning. 'I petted her ears...' he thought, clenching his hand into a fist. By doing that simple action, he had practically sealed his and Velouria's fate. A fate of heartbreak.

 _"One will lead to heartbreak..."_

Dwyer froze as Lilith's prophecy replayed in his mind. "Heartbreak..." he murmured underneath his breath.

Was Velouria the one the prophecy mentioned? Dwyer narrowed his eyes and shook his head. No, that didn't sound right...

Could it be that...Caeldori was the one?

Dwyer felt sick to his stomach, accusing his own girlfriend of being the one to cause heartbreak, but it made too much sense to just go ignored. After all, the prophecy never said that it would be _his_ heart that broke, right?

Actually, now that he thought about it...how did Velouria find him? That secret spot was a secret for a reason, and the butler doubted Velouria would've thought of it as the first place to look...

'Soleil,' Dwyer thought, heading towards the collection of tents. The flirtatious mercenary would probably know more about this, maybe she could help him out.

His mind made up, Dwyer headed off towards Soleil's tent, hoping that he would be able to have a word with her.

...

"Well, today confirmed it..." Soleil groaned, throwing her pillow across the tent lazily. "They're officially together."

Ophelia winced and nodded. "Yes, I'll admit...It was a little surprising actually seeing them announce it like that."

"Ugh..." Soleil frowned and crossed her arms. "The way she just wrapped herself around him..."

Ophelia bit her lip. "Soleil, are you sure you're okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine!" Soleil snapped, before her face immediately softened. "I'm sorry," she apologized, "I shouldn't be yelling at you..."

"I understand," the dark mage assured, smiling gently.

"It's just...frustrating," Soleil admitted, laying down. "I just find out I'm in love with the guy, and suddenly he gets swooped up by another girl." She narrowed her eyes. "They shared a dance...in our spot...Gods, it's the worst feeling in the world!"

Ophelia bit her lip and thought about what to say for a few moments. "Soleil..." she began. "Perhaps...you should try talking to Dwyer."

"..." Soleil closed her eyes and rolled over, turning her back to Ophelia.

The dark mage frowned and shook her head. "Soleil..."

"I don't want to..." Soleil whispered, just loud enough for her friend to hear. "Or more accurately...I'm scared too." She slowly drew her legs up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. "I...I'm scared," she repeated. "I'm scared that if I talk to him, I'll say the wrong thing. Or maybe I'll end up confessing to him...I'm scared what he'd think of me... Maybe I'm scared of looking at him, and all I'll see is him and Caeldori sharing that damned dance...what should have been _our_ dance."

Ophelia's heart broke over seeing the usual preppy and upbeat mercenary reduced to a heartbroken, self-pitying mess. The dark mage wished there was more she could do, but even she was at a loss. 'Some chosen one I am...' she thought bitterly. 'I bet Father would know what to do.'

"Listen, Soleil-"

"Soleil?" The two girls froze as they heard a familiar voice outside the tent. "It's me, Dwyer...Sorry to be bothering you, but there's something I think we should talk about..."

The girls shared a panicked glance, and they frantically began searching for a solution.

 _"Talk to him!"_ Ophelia mouthed.

Soleil shook her head, a rare look of fear and worry in her eyes. _"You talk to him!"_ she mouthed back.

"Um...Soleil?" Dwyer's voice sounded again, causing the two girls to jump.

Ophelia shared one last glance with Soleil, who was practically begging the dark mage to go. Ophelia sighed and nodded slowly, turning to the tent's exit. She crawled out and brushed herself off as she stood, waving at the butler. "Salutations, Dwyer!" she greeted, putting on her best smile.

Dwyer raised an eyebrow and looked at the dark mage, then at the tent, then back at Ophelia. "Um...hi," he awkwardly returned the greeting. "Er, is Soleil around?" he asked.

Ophelia bit her lip. "She..." She turned to look back at the tent before sighing. "She's...not really in the mood to talk right now..."

Dwyer took a step forward, his face having a worried expression. "Is everything alright?" he asked. "Anyway I can help?"

Ophelia blocked the butler's path and shook her head, smiling softly. "It's nothing you need to worry about," she assured him. "Anyway, what is it you need help with? Soleil might not be in the mood, but I'm more than happy to oblige!"

Dwyer frowned and glanced down. "It's...it's really something I think I should be asking Soleil," he admitted.

"Oh..." Ophelia's smile fell, and she turned back to the tent. Deciding to take a wild chance, she quickly grabbed Dwyer's arm and dragged him away from the tent, ignoring the butler's startled protest.

Once they were well away from the collection of tents, Ophelia turned back to Dwyer. "Is this about last night?" she asked him.

Dwyer's eyes widened, and he nodded. "How did you know?" he wondered, before shaking his head. "Soleil probably told you, didn't she?"

Ophelia nodded, biting her lip. 'Does...does he know about what happened?' she asked herself.

Dwyer sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "So does that mean I'm right?" he asked. "Did Soleil tell Velouria where to find me?"

'That's what he's worried about?' Ophelia raised an eyebrow, then nodded. "Yes, and Velouria saw you and Caeldori, um..."

"I knew it..." Dwyer hissed bitterly, clenching a fist. "Dammit, why did she have to see that...I can't believe I broke Velouria's heart like that."

Ophelia frowned and placed her hand gently on Dwyer's shoulder. "You shouldn't feel so down about it," she comforted. "You can't help who you end up liking, right?"

"Yeah, but..." Dwyer trailed off and held his hand up to his face, closing it and opening it slowly. "Velouria...let me pet her ears..." Ophelia noticed that Dwyer's eyes were beginning to water. The dark mage took a step back, unused to seeing Dwyer show so much...emotion.

'It's hitting him hard,' she realized. 'Dwyer rarely realizes it, but he wears his heart on his sleeve. To have hurt a friend in this way, even just accidentally...it must be more than he can bear. He must be feeling awful...'

Ophelia thought of only one thing she could do. She stepped towards the butler and gently wrapped her arms around his torso, pulling him close to her. Dwyer froze, but he slowly wrapped his arms around her in return.

For a moment, Ophelia wished there was no Caeldori, no Velouria, or even no Soleil. Try as she might to support her friends and be there for them...she was human too. A human with needs and wants. And right now, all she wanted was for her and Dwyer to stay like this for as long as possible.

Eventually, though, the two had to pull away. Dwyer nodded his thanks and smiled gently. Then he sighed. "I just...wish I knew what to do," he muttered. "I want to apologize to Velouria, but...her father says that it isn't a good idea."

"And I don't blame him for saying so," Ophelia said, nodding slowly. "I imagine that as a father, all he wants is to keep his daughter safe...he might be seeing you as a threat..."

Dwyer frowned and ran a hand through his blonde hair. "Yeah..." he agreed. Then he froze, his eyes wide as if he just realized something.

Ophelia awkwardly shifted her feet. "Um...Dwyer?" she called to him.

Dwyer shook his head. "I just realized something," he murmured. "Unless Soleil was there when it happened, there's no way she should know about Velouria's heartbreak..." He slowly turned to face Ophelia. "Which means you shouldn't know either..."

Ophelia glanced down and bit her lip, not meeting the butler's gaze.

"Ophelia...is there something you're not telling me?" Dwyer asked quietly.

"..." Ophelia bit her lip harder and wrung her fingers together.

"Ophelia..?"

"She saw you, okay!" the dark mage blurted out. "Soleil saw you and Caeldori dancing, then sharing a kiss!" She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. "That's why she doesn't want to talk to you, Dwyer!" she told him. "She feels like you betrayed her trust because you danced with _another_ girl in the spot that belonged to only you and her!" She looked up at the butler and glared at him. "I don't know what dancing with Soleil means to you...but to Soleil, the dance you two shared last night was _everything!_ It was how you two bonded, it was what made you two grow as close as you did! But she feels like you spat all over it!" She felt her eyes watering, and she wiped them away. "My best friend is probably in her tent crying right now because the thought of talking to you scares her half to death! Because you...you're with Caeldori, and not-"

Ophelia clamped a hand over her mouth before she could accidentally spill Soleil's feelings out for the butler. 'Good,' she thought once she had finally calmed down. 'Soleil, sorry for almost spilling the beans...'

She glanced up at the butler, and her face fell. "Dwyer..?" she called. "W-Where are you going..?"

The butler had turned his back to the dark mage and had starting dragging his feet back to the direction his home sat at. Dwyer stopped and turned to look at Ophelia, and the dark mage gasped when she saw just how...tired he looked.

"I managed to screw over two of my closest friends in just one evening,' he told her, yawning. "I'm...I'm going to bed..." He turned and began shambling away again.

"Dwyer, wait!" Ophelia cried, but the butler paid no attention, and soon enough he was out of sight. Ophelia bit her lip and wiped her eyes. 'Why?' she wondered. 'Why do I have to keep watching my friends get hurt like this?'

She glanced down at her arm, where that special mark...the one her father called the 'Brand of the Exalt', had appeared when she first joined the army. Although her father never told her of the mark's meaning or purpose, no matter how many times she tried prying the information out of him, he did eventually tell her one thing that always stuck with her.

A prayer.

Placing her hand on the mark, Ophelia turned her gaze to the stars and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "Please, dear Naga..." she prayed. "All I want is for my friends to be happy...may your blessing guide them through these dark times."

Sighing, Ophelia headed back towards Soleil's tent, not noticing that she was being watched.

Caeldori had witnessed the whole exchange, and needless to say, she felt awful. 'I'm happy with Dwyer,' she thought, 'but can I stand seeing everyone else in so much pain?'

What was she to do?

...

The next day, there was no sun in the sky. Outside the astral plane, it was dark and cold. The gray clouds had covered the entire sky, and there was no doubt that rain would come very soon.

It didn't matter, the dark knight decided as he dismounted his horse. By the end of the day, the traitor's army would be vanquished, and he would finally have his revenge. The young Hoshidan obediently stood by his side, despite that the spell he had placed on her was wearing thin. However, he would recast it in time. After all, the girl knew that if she didn't stay in line, the faceless would go on a rampage, killing them both.

The dark knight gently ran a hand over the cold body of some sort of fallen beast, its size rivaling a dragon. He turned back to the Hoshidan. "A portal, you say?" he asked. "A portal that leads to the traitor's base?"

The girl winced and nodded reluctantly. "Y-Yes..." she confirmed. "It's hard to sense, but everyone in Lord Corrin's army has been through them enough times to sense when one is near..."

"So we're that close..." The dark knight stepped away from the headless beast, slowly approaching the Hoshidan girl. "You've done well, my dear," he praised, holding out his hand as it began to glow. "You deserve a nice, long rest..."

Before she had a chance to struggle, Rhajat was suddenly put back into a trance, becoming an obedient slave once more. The horde of faceless stirred but did not act out. The dark knight felt pleased, and he quickly climbed on top of his horse, urging it forward. In the distance, he could see a small village, and he suddenly had a very wicked and cruel idea.

Gesturing towards the village, he said, "Why don't you creatures have a little warm up?" He cackled darkly and grinned. "Go." he ordered.

And then the faceless charged.

...

 **I love putting fictional characters through emotional torment...It's probably a fetish at this point or something, I don't know... ANYWAY! Don't forget to review! And remember, stay wykkyd!**


	31. A Difficult Choice

**Y'know, I've realized just how late I'm often uploading these. I don't know what time it is for you guys, but these chapters are usually uploaded sometime around midnight to three in the morning. Man, no wonder all I do is stay in bed all day! Also might explain why I've been having some disturbing dreams as of late, but whatever. Also my crush will never like me back but that's not important.**

 **Also, I've noticed that all of you are pretty split at the moment. I hear it in the reviews, and I get it in PM's too... DWYER X SOLEIL! DWYER X VELOURIA! Those two pairings seem to be spearheading through you guys, though I guess I shouldn't be surprised. The only trouble with writing this kind of story is...No matter who I pair Dwyer up with, a lot of you will surely be disappointed...Oh well, hard decisions and whatnot. I'm pretty sure I've come to a solid decision for an ending, but anything is always up for change. Hell, half of my writing of this fic is a collection of various ideas you guys have suggested every now and then. SO REMEMBER: You guys are basically writing this just as much as I am, it's one big adventure! Woo! So if you have an idea you'd like to throw out, go for it! As long as it doesn't cause a huge dent in the main storyline I've got planned, I'll consider basically anything!**

 **Except a true harem ending. That's a no-no. Maybe I'll add in a beach chapter or something if I'm feeling silly enough. That's how tropes work, right? Enjoy the chapter!**

 **...**

When Dwyer woke up the next morning, he was very much aware of the presence beside him. It was chilling, and it sent the butler on edge, he could barely move. However, he managed to find the willpower to turn his head to the side, and he instantly regretted it.

The mysterious diviner that had invaded his room the other night was sitting in a chair beside his bed, smiling cheekily with her arms folded across her bust. Dwyer gulped and opened his mouth to say something, but the diviner brought a finger to her lips and winked. Dwyer closed his mouth and felt himself begin to sweat, and he tried his best to look away from his strange visitor. However, try as he might, it was like the diviner had a power over him that prevented him from moving.

The diviner then stood up, and her smile disappeared. She leaned in and cupped the butler's cheeks, making him blush. The diviner leaned in, her lips slightly parting. Dwyer closed his eyes and prepared for the worst, but the woman's lips brushed past his cheek and settled less than an inch from his ear.

 _"Save her..."_

Dwyer blinked in surprise and glanced at the diviner, only to find that she had disappeared. Dwyer frowned and shivered, quickly hopping out of his bed and throwing some clothes on. Nope, nope, nope! He wasn't dealing with any of that!

'Save her...' he thought as he buttoned up his shirt. 'What could that mean? Save who?'

Caeldori? Ophelia? Velouria or Soleil?

Dwyer narrowed his eyes and shook his head. He would figure that out later, right now he had to hurry or he would be late to work. But...something slowed him down. Dwyer sighed and sat down on his bed, running a hand through his disheveled blonde hair. He remembered his confrontation with Keaton, and his talk with Ophelia. Velouria and Soleil...he hurt the both of them. Badly. With one, he had broken her heart, and the other he had broken her trust. Dwyer bit his lip and slumped down, feeling like a complete piece of crap. How could he be so senseless? Sure, he knew that he should be thinking of his own happiness with Caeldori, but how could be happy knowing that his actions caused his friends to lose faith in him? What was it that one of his caretakers used to tell him?

 _"Relationships come and go,"_ she had said, talking about a divorce she had recently gone through. _"It takes a special kind of person to be truly happy in those. But friendships...that's where real happiness lies. Because those...those stick around longer than any relationship ever will, kiddo!"_

What was he supposed to do in this situation? He could think of solutions, but all of them simply added more problems. And more problems were the last thing he needed.

...Well, he wasn't going to get anything done by just sitting here and moping. Taking a deep breath, Dwyer forced all of his angst towards the back of his mind and stepped outside, taking in the morning air. As always, the weather was undoubtedly better than whatever it was like outside the astral plane. He told himself that he should enjoy it while it lasted, seeing as the army would be marching off later that day. Who knew how long they would be gone?

He found the servants waiting for him outside Lilith's temple, awaiting his orders. Charlotte and Jakob were there too, probably just to act as the sleepy butler's moral support or something. Dwyer sighed and ran a hand through his hair, and began assigning different jobs to everyone. He noticed himself slip a few times, and no doubt the other servants had also noticed his different behavior, but none of them made any comment. Good.

The servants went to finish their tasks with hardly a complaint, and when they were all gone his parents approached him, looking worried.

"Well..." Jakob coughed. "You handled it better than last time, but..."

"You seemed distracted," Charlotte finished, frowning. "Dwyer, is everything okay?"

Dwyer hesitantly nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine..." he murmured. "Just...a little drama with friends last night, that's all."

Charlotte bit her lip, but didn't say anything. Jakob stepped forward and cleared his throat. "Would...would you like to talk about it?" he asked.

Dwyer shook his head and smiled softly. "No, it's alright," he assured, "I'll figure it out somehow."

"You say that..." Charlotte mumbled.

Jakob coughed again and placed a hand on his wife's shoulder. "Well if you're sure," he said.

Dwyer nodded and said goodbye to his parents before heading to the mess hall to get some breakfast. However, he paused when he caught sight of two girls walking across from him a few yards away. Selkie was gently leading a hooded Velouria to the mess hall, a gentle smile on her face. She seemed to be whispering something to try to encourage the wolfskin, though since Velouria's face was hidden, Dwyer couldn't tell whether or not it was working. A harsh feeling of guilt slammed into his gut, and Dwyer stumbled to catch himself. This caught Selkie's attention, and the two stared at each other for what seemed like countless ears.

Dwyer looked away in shame, but Selkie smiled sadly at him before she continued to lead Velouria away.

Great, now he was feeling awful again. Dwyer debated whether or not he really should go to the mess hall, considering that it was almost certain that all of his problems would be waiting there for him.

His stomach growled.

Dwyer glared down at his stomach, cursing it for betraying him.

Sighing, Dwyer reluctantly made his way to the mess hall, and he was right about to enter through the door when it was suddenly thrown open. The thick would caught Dwyer's forehead, smacking him to the ground. The butler groaned and rubbed his throbbing head, glancing up and freezing.

Soleil was staring at him in shock, her hand covering her mouth. The two stared at each other in dead silence, until Soleil rushed through something that sounded roughly like an apology before dashing away in the other direction.

"Soleil, wait!" Dwyer called, but the mercenary was long gone. Dwyer sighed in frustration and picked himself up, dusting his clothes off. Grumbling, the butler headed inside and wordlessly grabbed his food. He glanced around for a place to sit, but there was only a empty table in the corner. Fitting, he supposed, given his current situation.

He sighed as he sat down, and he wordlessly began chewing his breakfast, not bothering to complain about the horribly bland taste. He made a mental note to talk to the chef about it later. Suddenly, he noticed someone sit across from him. Glancing up, Dwyer saw Caeldori was not meeting his eyes, her head tilted downward as she played with her thumbs.

"Caledori?" Dwyer asked. "What is it?"

"I..." The crimson beauty sighed and shook her head. "Dwyer, do you think-"

"There you are, Dwyer!"

The two jumped and glanced around, catching sight of Mitama stomping towards them, her face twisted into a scowl. She stopped in front of them and placed her hands on her hips, leaning in towards Dwyer. "I've been looking for you all day!" Mitama hissed, eyes furious. "You were supposed to come with me to town so we could shop for writing supplies!"

Dwyer raised an eyebrow. "I was?"

Mitama stomped harshly on his foot.

Dwyer stuffed a fist in his mouth to keep from screaming, and he slowly nodded as he caught the hint. "I mean...I was!" he agreed through his tears. He slowly turned to Caeldori and smiled sheepishly. "S-Sorry, Caeldori, but can this wait...?" he asked.

Caeldori hesitantly nodded. "O-Of course..." she said, leaning in and kissing Dwyer's lips. She gave a nod to Mitama and walked away, and Mitama sighed in relief.

She looked down at Dwyer and frowned. "Oh, grow up!" she growled. "Why are you crying?"

"Because you crushed my damn foot!" Dwyer hissed, standing up and wincing. "And why do I have to come to town with you anyway?"

The poet sighed and walked towards the exit, motioning for the butler to follow. Dwyer reluctantly did so, limping slightly as Mitama began leading him outside the mess hall and towards the castle exit. Once they were well away Mitama's aggressive front faded, and she sighed. "A suffering fate/ Three girls and a troubled boy/ Pain is guaranteed." Her starry eyes softened, and she placed a gentle hand on the butler's shoulder. "You looked terrible today, I just knew something had to be wrong," she explained. "So this was my plan. I'm taking you out of here so you can think clearly for once."

"That's...surprisingly considerate of you," Dwyer said, scratching the back of his head.

Mitama huffed. "Are you implying that I'm not normally considerate?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

'That's exactly what I'm implying,' Dwyer thought. He smiled. "Of course not."

"Good."

The two traveled in relative silence, Mitama seemed serious in allowing Dwyer time to think. The butler frowned as he remembered the awkward interactions he had with Caeldori, Velouria, and Soleil. He wished he had the courage to speak to Velouria, and he wished Soleil hadn't ran away from him. He also wished that Mitama would've arrived just a little later so he could hear what Caeldori was going to say.

Currently, it felt like the whole world was against him. All because of one dance he shared with Caeldori. Dwyer ran a hand through his hair. Was it...a mistake, entering a relationship with the crimson beauty? Dwyer hated the very thought of it, but it wasn't like he was an expert about relationships. But...if his relationship was causing strain among his friends, wasn't that a bad thing? He nodded to himself. Yes, he supposed it was a bad thing, but what was he supposed to do? No matter which option popped up into his head, it ended with someone's heart getting broken.

Mitam glanced at him a few times, but offered no words as they reached the village. The villagers turned to the teenagers and happily waved, always ready to welcome those who slayed the silkwyrm. Dwyer forced himself to smile and wave back, when suddenly Mitama grabbed his arm and dragged him into a nearby shop. She greeted the store owner and immediately began browsing through the selections, which Dwyer had to take a step back to witness.

Needless to say, the place was _loaded!_ There wasn't a single area empty as the whole shop was filled with pens, brushes, quills, books, parchment, ink...Everything a writer, or a poet, would need and much more.

Mitama noticed Dwyer's expression and smiled. "Impressive, isn't it?" she said, glancing around. "I think I'll miss this village, which is why I wanted to come here before we left."

"Yeah..." Dwyer breathed, smiling gently.

Mitama picked up a brush and carefully inspected it, before grinning. "High quality products, too!" she praised.

The store owner overheard them and smirked. "No one has stuff like me," he boasted. "I'm best at what I do!"

Mitama nodded placed the brush on the front counter, hurrying back to continue her search. In truth, Dwyer could tell he wasn't needed, but he still appreciated Mitama taking him away from the castle, even if it was for something silly like shopping for writing utensils.

After buying all that she needed, plus a little more, Mitama handed the bags to the butler. "Carry them," she ordered.

Dwyer grabbed them and raised an eyebrow. "So I'm just here to do the heavy lifting?" he asked.

Mitama walked out of the store with the butler in tow. "You're the butler, aren't you?" she teased, winking.

Dwyer rolled his eyes. "I'm a royal servant," he countered. "You're not royalty. Your father is a sociopathic monk and your mother is the most oblivious woman on the planet."

"And your father's an ass and your mother is too fake," Mitama shot back, narrowing her eyes. "Just carry the bags, okay?"

Dwyer rolled his eyes again but didn't argue. Most would probably be offended by Mitama's insult, but Dwyer was more than used to it. His relationship with Mitama was an interesting one. No matter how much they loved to hate each other, they knew that the other was someone they could always trust in the end. And honestly, that was what Dwyer needed: A good friend as opposed to the sudden drama he was thrust into.

Mitama seemed to notice, and she looped her arm with his and led him towards a part of the village he hadn't been to before. "Mitama?" he asked. "Where exactly are we going?"

"A place where we can't be disturbed," the poet answered. "I think you've had enough time to think, now comes the therapy part." She turned to him and flicked his forehead. "And no excuses, okay? You've helped me in the past, let me do the same for once, alright?"

Dwyer smiled gently and nodded. "Yeah," he agreed, "thank you."

"Don't mention it." Mitama smirked. "No, really. You and I have a reputation to keep, after all."

Dwyer returned the smirk. "I doubt anyone really believes we hate each other." he pointed out.

Mitama shrugged and didn't respond, instead she ducked behind an old building and let go of Dwyer's arm, gesturing to the area they had just entered. "Well, what do you think?" she asked.

The place must have been a backyard once, but the small fence had rotted away. An old tree stood at the center, a wooden bench beneath it. The grass was overgrown, but not unbearable, and the bench faced away from the village, giving a nice view of the surrounding fields. Dwyer smiled and watched as Mitama sat down on the bench, patting the seat beside her. Dwyer sat down next to the poet, and for a minute they didn't speak, only enjoying the view.

"So..." Mitama turned her star-shaped eyes towards the butler. "What's been going on?"

Dwyer frowned and glanced upwards, leaning back into the bench and crossing his arms across his chest. "I...I screwed up." he began.

"Figured as much," Mitama quipped.

Dwyer rolled his eyes. "You see...The night Caeldori and I confessed to each other...I messed something up badly." He sighed and shook his head. "Turns out that Velouria was planning on confessing her own feelings for me that night too...and she witnessed everything that happened..."

"Well that would explain the awkward atmosphere," Mitama observed, tapping her chin with one finger. "Still, I don't think you should be beating yourself up over that..."

"I wasn't finished," said Dwyer. "It gets worse...Soleil witnessed it too. See, Soleil and I...we have this special place, a place that only we know about and visit. It's where our friendship really grew, and it means a lot to her..." Dwyer closed his eyes and shook his head. "Caeldori and I...were in that special place, and now Soleil feels like she can't trust me anymore."

"Ah..." Mitama winced. "Okay...but that's not all, huh?"

Dwyer hummed. "I just...don't know what to do," he admitted. "I feel awful for what happened, and I hate seeing Velouria and Soleil like this, I want to help them, but..."

"Caeldori's holding you back."

Dwyer blinked, then hesitantly nodded. "I...I guess, yeah." He groaned and ran a hand through his hair. "Just...what do I do? How do I fix this? Everything I think of just ends with one of those three getting hurt even more!"

Mitama was silent for a few moments before she shook her head slowly. "Poor Dwyer, so naive..." she murmured.

"Huh?"

Mitama sighed. "Dwyer, you really don't know when to stop, do you?" she asked. "You keep trying to help everyone out, thinking that there _must_ be a perfect solution to everything, but it's never that simple..."

"I-I know that..." Dwyer muttered, glancing away.

Mitama raised an eyebrow. "Do you?" she challenged. She then sighed again. "Dwyer...sometimes, we gotta make sacrifices, y'know? I know my parents certainly had to, and I bet your parents as well." She took a deep breath. "Dwyer, what's more important? Your relationship, or your friends?"

"My friends," Dwyer answered immediately, surprising himself.

Mitama nodded. "Then break up with Caeldori," she offered.

Dwyer did a double take. "W-What?" he gasped. "Mitama, are you sure-"

"Dammit, Dwyer!" the poet hissed. "If your friends are what you consider important, then act according to them! If your relationship is getting in the way of your friendships then you need to leave that relationship! I know it might seem hard, but sooner or later you gotta understand that sometimes there are no easy answers...You have to make sacrifices."

"..." Dwyer kept his eyes fixed on the ground.

Mitama bit her lip and scooted closer, leaning her head on the butler's shoulder. "Look, I'm not saying that's the only solution," she told him, "but just think about it, okay? I'm sure you'll find the best answer sooner or later..."

Dwyer nodded slowly. "Right..." he murmured.

The two stayed like that for awhile, until a sudden shriek pierced the air.

The two jumped up and sprinted back towards the village, where the scream was heard. Once they reached the area, they froze, eyes wide with fear.

An entire horde of faceless was destroying the small town, and the villagers were scurrying like rats as they tried to escape the monsters.

"Faceless?!" Mitama gasped. She gripped her dress tightly. "Dammit! I forgot my rod and yumi!"

Dwyer had also forgotten his healing rod, but there was one thing he didn't forget. Dwyer quickly unsheathed his silver dagger and turned to the poet. "Mitama, we need to protect these people!" he hissed. "Er...go see if there are any weapons laying around."

"Actually..." Mitama yanked Dwyer out of way as a faceless came charging past. "I'll help out the people here," she said, eyes narrowed. "Dwyer, you go back to the castle and warn everyone! They can send help, and everything will get sorted out!"

Dwyer hesitated. "Will you be alright?" he asked.

Mitama nodded and smiled softly. "Go," she urged. "We'll be okay!"

The two shared one last look before Dwyer ran off, dodging faceless left and right as he delivered quick slashes to their sides. Some tried giving chase, but Dwyer saw some of the more burly villagers beginning to fight back against the monsters. Dwyer looked back and saw Mitama leading a group of children away from the battle. 'Please, be safe...' the butler thought as he left the village.

He ran as fast as he could towards the portal, ignoring his lungs that screamed and begged for air. He couldn't stop...not while so many were relying on him.

Something forced him to stop.

Someone was blocking his path.

Dwyer's eyes widened. "Rhajat...?" he gasped.

...

 **Y'know what? That beach chapter is totally gonna happen later on. I've made up my mind!**

 **Anyway, so the battle is beginning to kick off, but before Dwyer can warn the others, Rhajat is blocking his path...what could become of this? Stay tuned to find out! Don't forget to review! And remember, stay wykkyd!**


	32. The Battle Begins

**Well, the entire neighborhood is screaming for some reason, but whatever. I can sit through that while handling this. Anyway, let's get this show on the road! Last chapter left off at a cliffhanger, and I don't wanna leave you guys waiting too long!**

 **Enjoy the chapter, everyone!**

 **...**

"Rhajat?"

The diviner stared at him blankly in response, and Dwyer frowned took a step forward. "Rhajat, what are you doing here?" he asked.

"..." Rhajat's bangs fell over her eyes.

Dwyer narrowed his eyes. "Well, alright..." He shook his head and tried walking back the diviner. "Listen, we have to hurry and warn Lord-"

It was only pure dumb luck that Dwyer managed to avoid the first blow, a rat spirit zipping by him before he had time to blink. The butler stumbled back and landed on his rear painfully, though he ignored it as he stared up at Rhajat in shock, his mouth agape. "Rhajat, what are you doing?!" he gasped.

"..." The diviner held up her scroll, preparing to summon another spirit to attack.

Dwyer hurried to his feet and began backing away. "Rhajat, what's going on?!" he hissed. "Why are you attacking me?"

The diviner fired off another rat spirit, which Dwyer jumped out of the way to avoid. Rhajat turned to face the butler, her lips twisted into a scowl. Dwyer narrowed his eyes and rose to his feet, holding out his silver dagger defensively.

Something wasn't right...this all seemed a little too connected for Dwyer to ignore. First the faceless attack the village, and now Rhajat was attacking him. She had been gone for a long time, who knows what happened to her...The butler glanced around, searching for something suspicious. He knew that faceless could only be summoned by powerful black magic, and even though Rhajat was indeed powerful...

Dwyer took a deep breath. "Who's there?" he demanded, looking around. "I know you're controlling Rhajat, making her do these things. Show yourself!"

There was no answer, but suddenly Rhajat began chuckling darkly. Dwyer gulped and steadied himself, preparing for the worst. _"How clever of you, servant boy,"_ Rhajat praised, her voice not her own, but much deeper. _"Perhaps I should introduce myself to you..."_

"Wha..?" Dwyer gulped once more and he suddenly felt a dark presence behind him. Whirling around, the butler barely sidestepped a sword swing, the tip of the weapon a mere inch from his face. Dwyer stumbled down onto the ground again, and looked up to examine his attacker. He gasped in fright as what he saw was probably the most intimidating thing he had ever laid eyes on.

Dark eyes peered at him from behind a mask resembling a skull. Jagged armor covered the body, and the levin sword the attacker carried was crackling with energy. The horse the figure rode on look like it came from the depths of hell, with pitch black fur and eyes that glowed like hot coals.

"W-Who are you...?" Dwyer breathed.

The dark knight chuckled and twirled his levin sword absentmindedly. "Who I am matters not to you, boy," he said, his voice baritone and smooth. The dark knight looked Dwyer up and down, before humming to himself. "I recognize that attire," he hissed. "Those clothes are worn by butlers serving the Nohrian royal family. Which means you must be part of _his_ army!"

He spat out the word, his voice full of venom. Dwyer felt a shiver go up his spine, but he forced himself to remain calm. "S-So...you summoned those faceless to attack that village?" he guessed. "And you're going to attack Lord Corrin's castle next?"

The dark knight nodded, then smirked underneath his mask. "Oh, but it's not me who summoned them." he said, gesturing his sword towardd Rhajat, who stood obediently at his side. "It was this lovely creature right here!"

Dwyer glanced at Rhajat and narrowed his eyes, whipping back to face the dark knight. "Because you took control of her!" he accused, holding up his dagger. "Let her go, or I'll-"

"Wait, I recognize you..." the dark knight interrupted, dismounting his horse. He strode closer to butler, his hand coming up to rub his chin. "You're the boy my spell created..."

"What are you talking about?" Dwyer asked, stepping back cautiously.

The dark knight chuckled once more and shook his head. "What a rare opportunity..." he murmured, before turning to Rhajat. "My dear, please will the faceless to come. As soon as this boy is dead, we march upon the traitor's fortress." The dark knight turned back to Dwyer and readied his magical blade. "You will be the first of his men to fall, my boy," he announced. "After all, I could use a warm-up!"

Immediately, the dark knight lunged and stabbed at Dwyer, but the butler sidestepped out of the way and instinctively lashed out with his own attack. However, the dark knight parried the blow and delivered a hash backhand. The crack echoed throughout the land as Dwyer staggered and tried to balance himself, when suddenly a beam of lightning shot after him. The beam hit Dwyer's chest dead center, launching him back. Dwyer cried out as he was flung into the air, then gasped in pain as his back slammed into a tree.

Dwyer collapsed onto the ground, wrapping his arms around his torso as he groaned in agony. His lungs were on fire, and he could see stars circling his head. The dark knight sighed and walked towards the butler, shaking his head. "Disappointing," he stated, sticking the levin sword into the ground. "I was hoping for more of a challenge, though I suppose I should have known better. You are just a butler, after all."

"I...I do make a good...cup of coffee..." Dwyer wheezed, attempting to stand. The dark knight stared at him for a few moments, before grabbing his levin sword and taking a few steps back.

"Good, you can still stand!" he praised, nodding in approval. "Does that mean you still intend to fight?"

The sound of the faceless approaching was beginning to come forward, and both knew it would only be a matter of time before the horde of monsters was upon them.

Dwyer smiled weakly and shook his head. "Quite the opposite," he corrected. "I intend to run!"

"Hmm?" The dark knight raised an eyebrow.

Dwyer quickly threw his dagger at the dark knight, and to the villain's surprise it stuck itself into his shoulder before he had time to react. The dark knight roared in pain and anger, and Dwyer took this opportunity to sprint away as fast as his legs could carry him. The dark knight tore the dagger from his shoulder and dropped it onto the ground, aiming his levin sword and firing another bolt of lightning towards the butler.

Dwyer ducked out of the way and stumbled, but caught his footing and continued to run for his life. 'Gotta hurry!' he urged himself. 'I need to warn Lord Corrin!' He looked over his shoulder to see the dark knight mount his steed, preparing to give chase. Dwyer gulped and forced himself to run faster, despite his dizziness and aching body. 'I don't stand a chance against him like this!' he thought as he gritted his teeth. 'Get to the castle, warn Lord Corrin, get healed. Get to the castle, warn Lord Corrin, get healed...'

"Come back here, you damn brat!" the dark knight snarled from behind. Dwyer looked over his shoulder and saw the dark knight quickly gaining on him. Within seconds he would be on top of Dwyer, he needed to think of a plan right now!

His mind drew a blank, and he felt a hand grab the back of his neck and lift him into the air. Dwyer struggled to free himself, but the dark knight's grip was too strong. Dwyer felt a wave of fear rush through him as he realized just how strong his opponent was. The dark knight peered at the butler through his mask, before he wordlessly urged his horse to trot back to where they had left Rhajat. As the trees parted. Dwyer's eyes widened once he saw the horde of faceless awaiting him.

"I said you would be the first of the traitor's army to die," the dark knight reminded him, "and I'm always one to keep my word. The faceless could use a morale boost!" The dark knight chuckled as he tossed Dwyer into the middle of the faceless horde. "May your death be agonizing, boy!" he cackled.

'I'm going to die!' Dwyer realized as the faceless descended upon him. Their huge frames blocked out the world as Dwyer knew it, all he could sense was the smell of rotting corpses. The butler closed his eyes and waited for the end, determined not to give the dark knight the satisfaction of his terror. 'Velouria, Soleil...I hope you two can forgive me...'

The pain never came, because he heard something ram itself into one of the monsters above him. Dwyer opened his eyes and looked up to a familiar fox land beside him, blocking him from the faceless with her own body as she bared her teeth at the faceless. _"Leave Dwyer alone, you dum-dums!"_ she snarled.

"S-Selkie..?" Dwyer whispered, eyes wide.

The kitsune turned to the butler, her eyes twinkling. _"Not just me!"_

Another roar was heard as a wolfskin appeared from nowhere, grabbing one of the faceless and crushing its head with her giant paw. "Velouria..?" Dwyer murmured as he sat up.

The wolfskin turned to the butler, her beastly eyes holding more emotion than he thought she was capable of.

"What is going on here?!" the dark knight hissed as he glared at the three. "More of the traitor's brats?!"

Selkie, still in her transformed state, stuck her tongue out in response, and Velouria grabbed Dwyer and placed him on her back. Quickly, the two ran off with the butler, and the dark knight ordered the faceless to give chase. "After them!" he commanded. "Follow them to the traitor's castle, kill every last one of them!"

The faceless only heard the word 'kill', but that was enough to send them in a frenzy. The monsters charged after the teenagers, thirsting for blood. The dark knight sighed and turned to Rhajat, who watched the events silently, still under his trance. The dark knight offered his hand to the girl, and he helped her up on the horse. "Let us go, my dear," he said, "only I am allowed to kill the traitor, and I'll be damned if I let one of those mindless beasts do it for me!"

...

"How...how did you find me?" Dwyer asked as they ran, clinging tightly to Velouria's thick fur. He could hear the faceless chasing after them, but in their frenzy they kept tripping over each other, slowing them down.

 _"We were playing together when we heard faceless!"_ Selkie explained. _"We had to come help you, so here we are!"_

 _"Y-Yeah..."_ Velouria agreed, eyes trained forward.

Dwyer frowned. "Velouria..."

 _"Not now..."_ the wolfskin said. _"We're almost at the portal!"_

Sure enough, as soon as the three saw the portal flash, they practically dove headfirst into it. Seeing Lord Corrin's castle in the distance, they forced themselves to run far past their limits, knowing that there was no time to waste.

"That guy..." Dwyer began. "He possessed Rhajat and was using her to summon all those faceless. They're coming here to attack us, we gotta hurry!"

 _"Rhajat?"_ Selkie gasped before sprinting faster. _"No way! That guy has gotta pay! I hope he likes Tackle!"_

Velouria wordlessly nodded in agreement, and soon the three had reached Lord Corrin's castle, not wasting any time as they hurried to his tree house. Selkie changed back into her human form and cupped her mouth. "LORD CORRIN!" she yelled. "WE HAVE TROUBLE!"

Immediately Lord Corrin poked his head out from the window, glancing down in confusion. "What?" he called down. "How so?"

Dwyer groaned and lifted his head. "An entire horde of faceless are heading this way!" he warned. "They'll be here any minute!"

Lord Corrin's eyes widened, and he quickly descended down the ladder, unsheathing his Yato blade. "We need to warn everyone else!" he said, turning to Selkie. "Selkie, go tell everyone what's going on, you're the fastest one here." Selkie nodded and immediately shifted back into kitsune form, sprinting off to issue a warning to the other soldiers. Dwyer turned to Velouria, and frowned. "Velouria, go take Dwyer to the medical tent," he ordered.

Velouria nodded and made sure Dwyer was secure on her back before carrying him to the medical tent. Once they reached the place, Velouria set Dwyer down and shifted back to her human form, looping the butler's arm over her shoulder."Can you walk?" she asked. Dwyer nodded and allowed the wolfskin to lead him inside.

There was no one in the medical tent at the moment, so Velouria simply helped Dwyer onto one of the cots. There was an awkward silence until Velouria coughed. "I...I'll go get a healer..." she said before turning to walk away.

"Velouria, wait."

The wolfskin paused and slowly turned around as Dwyer sat up, wincing in pain a he did so. "I'm sorry," he apologized.

Velouria blinked. "E-Excuse me?" she asked dumbly.

"I'm sorry," Dwyer repeated, frowning. "I...I know that you saw me and Caeldori the other night," he said. "And...I know how much that hurt you..."

Velouria turned away and closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around herself. "Don't be..." she whimpered. "You like Caeldori, and there's nothing I can do about it..."

"But..." Dwyer took a deep breath and sighed. "When Caeldori and I got together, I wasn't...thinking clearly. I think what I was really feeling was pity more than anything...I didn't want to hurt Caeldori's feelings, so-"

"So you said yes out feeling that you needed to," Velouria finished, turning back to face the butler. She frowned. "That's horrible, Dwyer."

Dwyer nodded and closed his eyes. "Yeah, I think that's what Mitama was trying to hammer into me," he murmured, before taking another deep breath. "And with that, I've hurt so many people too. Caeldori, you, Soleil...The last thing I want is for any of my friends to be hurt."

"I..." Velouria looked away again and pulled her hood over her face. "I...I want you and me to be more than friends, though!"

Dwyer laid back down. "I know..." he whispered. "But...I'm really not sure how to feel about anything anymore."

"I...I understand..." Velouria took a deep breath and wiped her eyes with her sleeve, sniffing. "It's just, well...you and I, we..."

Dwyer nodded. "Your father told me about what petting ears mean to your people," he admitted. "I know how much it meant to you, Velouria..."

"The world." Velouria confirmed. She sniffed again and turned away.

"Velouria..." Dwyer sat up and reached out, tugging at the wolfskin's sleeve. "No matter what happens, I don't want to lose you...I trust you more than almost anyone else, you're one of my closest friends. I never want to hurt you again..."

"Dwyer..." Velouria turned around and sat down on the cot, facing the butler. She smiled softly and nodded. "Of course," she agreed. "No matter what, we'll have each other's backs, right? We won't be torn apart?"

Dwyer smiled gently. "I promise you."

Velouria hesitated before she slowly leaned in, gently kissing the butler's lips before pulling away, blushing. "I'm holding you to that," she said, standing up. "I'll go get you a healer, and I'll stand guard to make sure no faceless come over here!" She left without another word, leaving the butler to himself.

His fingers brushed against his lips. He blushed and shook his head, before laying back down. "Girls." he muttered.

...

Before Selkie had come and delivered Lord Corrin's warning, Soleil had been sitting at the cherry blossom tree she knew Dwyer loved napping under, lost in thought. Ophelia had told her of last night's exchange with Dwyer, and it had been bothering the mercenary ever since then.

 _"He seemed to be taking it really hard," Ophelia mentioned, looking down._

 _"W-Well good!" Soleil hissed. "It serves him right!"_

 _Ophelia frowned and shook her head. "Soleil, you and I both know you don't mean that!"_

 _"I totally do mean that!" Soleil argued. Her face fell not ten seconds later. She drew her knees up to her chin and buried her face in them, shaking her head. "Dammit, Dwyer...why do you have to be like this..?"_

The memory faded as Soleil frowned and closed her eyes. "Maybe I should apologize," she murmured. "Maybe Ophelia was right...I should talk to him..."

But...she was still so scared. What would she even say? Even if she could figure it out, could she even bring herself to speak?

Soleil felt some new tears form. "Dammit, why'd you have to fall for him of all people?" she growled.

"SOLEIL!" The mercenary glanced up when she saw Selkie running towards her, and once she reached her the kitsune collapsed, panting.

"Selkie, wha-"

"Faceless!" Selkie cried. "A whole horde of 'em! We gotta fight 'em off!"

Soleil's eyes widened and she jumped to her feet, and sure enough she could see faceless beginning to pour in, many of the soldiers already charging to meet the threat. "How...?" Soleil whispered.

"Well, that's a funny story! See, Dwyer-"

"That can wait till later," Soleil growled, unsheathing her sword. "But right now, I could use something to pent out all my frustration on!"

"Uh..." Selkie bit her lip. "Doesn't your daddy always say stuff like 'smile when you battle' or something?"

Soleil chuckled and turned to the kitsune, a dangerous grin on her face that she could've only inherited from her mother. "Oh, trust me...I _am_ smiling!"

Without waiting to hear Selkie's response, the mercenary rushed down to meet the first of the faceless in her path. Laughing in almost an obnoxiously childish way, she dug her sword deep into the monster's belly, slashing upwards as blood spurted out. The faceless groaned as it sunk to the ground, and Soleil moved on to find her next target.

...

The dark knight watched from afar as the faceless rushed into the castle, and he could hear the battle starting to unfold. While the faceless were like cannon fodder to any skilled warrior, he knew that enough could be summoned that the traitor's army would be crushed in no time. He simply had to be patient.

"Brother."

The dark knight narrowed his eyes and turned his head to look at the woman who had called to him. Dressed as a dark mage, she looked no older than a child, though the dark knight knew that she was much older than her appearance would suggest. Dismounting his horse, the dark knight unsheathed his levin sword and ordered Rhajat to stay put.

A few moments passed before the dark knight removed his mask and tossed it to the ground. "Sister," he greeted, a false smile spreading across his face. "I'm surprised you recognized me under that mask."

Nyx rolled her eyes. "You always did favor the magic sword," she pointed out. "Only you would hold it so casually."

"You flatter me."

Nyx bit her lip and clenched her hands into fists. "This has to stop!" she hissed. "What's the point of all of this? Petty revenge? That's cowardly, Brother! You used to be better than that." She narrowed her eyes. "Father would be ashamed if he could see you right now."

"You're one to talk!" the dark knight barked. "You disobeyed him, and now look at you! Forever a child!"

"And I've repented for what I've done!" Nyx replied. "I have a family now, one that I would do anything to protect!"

"A family?" The dark knight scoffed. "Who would ever waste time with someone like you?"

"His name is Niles and he's a complete idiot," Nyx answered, glaring daggers at her brother. "And we have one beautiful daughter, you have a niece, named Nina. Tell me, what do you have? Nothing!"

"Because that traitor took it all away from me!" the dark knight screamed, brandishing his levin sword dangerously.

"You could've had us," Nyx said gently, her voice now full of emotion. "But I can see the look in your eyes...you won't stop until you've had your way, your need for revenge has driven you to near madness..." Nyx closed her eyes and took a deep breath before holding out her tome for her brother to see. "Forgive me, brother, for allowing you to become this. I'll put you to rest now."

"Try it, wench," the dark knight seethed as he readied himself.

Then the two charged at each other, all familiarity gone.

...

 **And so it begins! Y'know, I feel like I put myself in Dwyer during his scene with Velouria. I used to date girls because I didn't know how to say no, and y'know what? They never lasted long, and they were never that happy. Awful thing for me to do, but I feel like I've matured since then. So forgive me for putting Dwyer in my shoes for a moment.**

 **But on the other hand, I just know some of you Dwyer x Velouria fans reading this are squealing, but remember that still doesn't mean she's confirmed as the main love interest. Hell, when I was first writing this I never intended for Velouria to become a strong contender for Dwyer's heart, but she grew on me, y'know? So who knows? I'll consider it ;)**

 **Don't forget to review! And remember, stay wykkyd!**


	33. I Have to Save Her!

**So a few people have suggested that in order to leave all the fans satisfied, I should write a bunch of alternate endings for this story. Although the thought has crossed my mind several times, I just don't see how I could possibly make that work. I mean, in order to even make those alternate endings even HALF decent, I would have to spend time writing several extra chapters and I'd have to rewrite entire story arcs just to make it work. That's like...twenty chapters per girl, and even if I only make an alternate ending for only one or two girls, that still takes too much time. As much as I love this story, it's been one of my personal favorites, I still wanna write other stories. And taking the time to make an alternate ending would just take too much out of the time I could use to write more stories for you guys to enjoy. For example, for you Awakening fans, I have an entire Kellam-centered story currently in the works. And for Echoes fans, a Deen-centered story is in development.**

 **So yeah, no alternate endings. Hope you guys can understand that. But with all that out of the way, go ahead and enjoy the chapter!**

 **...**

They were going to lose.

Dwyer could not see the battle, but he could hear it from the safety of the medical tent. It was an uphill struggle. No matter how many faceless were slain, there were plenty more to take its place. Dwyer could only imagine the strain it must have on Rhajat, but he knew that the dark knight would have her summon more faceless until her very last breath.

He couldn't let that happen.

There was only one way to stop those faceless, and that was to cut off their very source. That would involve either defeating Rhajat or her captor. Dwyer narrowed his eyes and laid down, staring up at the top of the tent. Would the dark knight make that easy? Probably not, Dwyer had a feeling that the mad man must've realized this too. He probably had Rhajat close at his side in order to protect her from harm.

This wouldn't be easy...

A groan caught his attention, and Dwyer watched as two people entered the tent. It was Arthur who was injured, and he was clutching his ribs in agony as his wife, Beruka, gently laid him down on one of the cots. She then immediately left, probably to search for a healer.

The healers were certainly taking their time, though Dwyer couldn't blame them. It was hectic outside, they were probably too distracted to check up on the injured patients.

Ignoring Arthur's groaning, Dwyer reached into his pocket and pulled out the shuriken that Asugi had given him. With his silver dagger lost somewhere outside the astral plane, this was all Dwyer had to defend himself. The butler sighed and pocketed the small weapon, thinking about his options. Before anything else, he'd have to wait for a healer. Dwyer had no idea what the extent of his injuries were, the recent events have mostly shocked him into ignoring them.

He heard a commotion outside the tent, as well as the familiar groan of a dying faceless. A few moments later, one of the healers entered the tent, a chilling grin on his face.

"Hello there, happy patients!" Azama greeted in a cheerful manner that sent shivers down Dwyer's spine. "How are we this fine day, hm?" Before Dwyer had a chance to speak, Azama raised his healing rod and cleared his throat. "Alright, let's get this over with..."

"WAIT!" Suddenly, two small hands grabbed Azama's arm and tugged him down. It was Midori, staring at the monk with annoyance with her cheeks puffed out.

Azama raised an eyebrow. "Yes, my young apprentice?"

"You said we were going to heal the patients _my_ way this time, Mister Azama!" the young apothecary whined, stamping her foot on the ground. She jabbed a thumb at the medicine trunk strapped to her back. "I even brought all my supplies!"

"Oh, did I?" Azama grinned and shrugged. "I must've lied then. Well, let's get started!"

"Mister Azama!"

"Oh, fine!" the monk hissed, gesturing over at Dwyer. "Take care of him, then. I'll deal with...Harold, here."

"M-My name's Arthur..." the man in question moaned.

"Whatever."

Midori sighed, but then smiled and she skipped over to Dwyer, shrugging off her medicine trunk. Dwyer winced as it landed on the groud with a solid _thud,_ and in that moment he didn't know what he feared more; Azama's 'cheery' attitude or Midori's mystery potions.

"I'll show him," Midori said as she opened the trunk. "Sure, he thinks he's all fancy because he can heal people with magic or whatever, but old fashioned medicine is the real way to go!"

"That's great..." Dwyer muttered. "How long will this take?"

"Well first I have to see what your injuries are," Midori answered, inspecting the butler's shirt. "It's all singed, what happened?"

"I got blasted with a levin sword," Dwyer explained, frowning. "It launched me into a tree, I smacked my back against it pretty hard."

Midori winced. "Ouch..." she hissed. Nodding to herself, she dug into her trunk and pulled out a few jars. "These help with burns...Ah!" Suddenly Midori turned red and looked away hesitantly. "D-Dwyer...I, um...I need you to take your shirt off..."

"Ooooh, can't handle a naked torso, eh?" Azama quipped from the other side of the tent. "Tsk, tsk, some doctor!"

"S-S-Shush, you!" Midori stammered.

Dwyer bit his lip but nodded, and he slowly peeled off the charred remains of his shirt. Midori covered her eyes but peeked through her fingers, finally taking the shirt from Dwyer and setting it down. She nervously looked over his chest, and the way she was staring at him was beginning to make Dwyer pretty uncomfortable...

"Er, Midori..."

The young doctor snapped out of her trance and nodded, her face serious. "Honestly, you're lucky," she told him. "Not everyone can take a magical hit so well... Some people would be dead."

"I get it from my father," Dwyer explained. He winced. "Still...it hurts."

Midori nodded and grabbed a small jar, taking the cork out and pouring some of the ooze onto her hand. "This can treat it pretty quickly," she informed him. "It's something I personally invented in order to treat burns like these! Your burns shouldn't require too much..." Midori paused, her face red once again.

Dwyer raised an eyebrow. "Is...Is everything alright?"

"Y-Y-Yeah..." Midori muttered. "I just...I have to...rub it on..."

Dwyer's eyes widened, and he coughed awkwardly. Both teens had blushes on their faces, which the monk beside them took great amusement in. Finally Dwyer took a deep breath and nodded. "Just...get it over with..." he muttered.

"O-Of course!" Midori gulped and rubbed her hands together, before she slowly lowered them onto Dwyer's chest. The butler hissed and flinched.

"I-It's cold!" he said.

Midori nodded and glanced away. "Just...just deal with it..." She placed her hands on Dwyer's chest again and slowly began to rub them over his entire torso. Dwyer clenched his hands into fists, the medicine chilling him to the bone. Midori rubbed the medicine all over the burns until finally they were covered in a fine layer of...whatever the medicine was actually made of. "Okay, just let those soak in for a minute," the doctor instructed as she wiped her hands off on her skirt. "How are you feeling?"

"Well...the pain's gone," Dwyer noted. "So...that's good, I guess."

Midori smiled and nodded. "Yay!" she cheered. "Now, once that dries, I'll need you to flip over so I can treat the bruises on your back."

Dwyer obeyed once the medicine had dried, and he took a deep breath as Midori ran her hands over his back. "Well, that's an easy fix!" she chirped, digging into her medicine trunk. She pulled out another bottle and opened it, dropping two pills into her hands. She handed them to Dwyer. "Take those, they're pain relievers," she told him. Dwyer nodded and popped them into his mouth, swallowing them.

'Huh, not bad," he thought.

He winced as a sudden chill ran up his spine. He looked over his shoulder and saw Midori applying another strange elixir onto him. The apothecary smiled at him sheepishly. "Sorry," she apologized. "This one's just to help with the swelling."

"W-Why is everything so cold?!" the butler hissed.

Midori opened her mouth, but then quickly closed it and shrugged. "That's...just how medicine works?"

"Why did you say that like it was a question?"

Midori gasped and puffed her cheeks out. "I-I did not!" she protested. She sighed and calmed down. "Anyway, I finished applying it...now all you have to do now is lay down."

Dwyer nodded and buried his face into the cot's pillow. 'Sounds good to me,' he thought. Maybe he should rest for a bit, it was probably for the best in the long run. Besides, Midori would probably throw a fit if he bothered to leave...

 _"Save her."_

The butler's eyes shot opened as he remembered the ghostly diviner's words. 'Save her...' he repeated to himself. 'Save her...save...Rhajat!'

Rhajat needed his help. This battle would never end until either everyone in the army was slain...or until Rhajat was saved. Dwyer pushed himself up and groaned as his body throbbed, protesting against his actions. Normally, he would listen, but...

"Dwyer, what are you doing?!" Midori gasped as the butler stood up and reached down to pick up his burnt shirt. "You still need time to fully recover, you're in no condition to battle!"

Dwyer shrugged. "You're right," he agreed as he slid into his shirt. "But as Lord Corrin's head of staff, it's my duty to fight at his side..." His eyes narrowed as he dug his shuriken out of his pocket. "Besides, Rhajat needs my help...This battle won't end unless something is done."

"B-But..." Midori was trying to find the right words to say. "Dwyer...what's gotten into you?"

'I wonder if Father would be proud right now,' Dwyer thought as he stretched. 'He always did criticize me for never joining the front lines, I wonder if he'd be lecturing me or cheering me on...'

Either way, it didn't matter right now. He turned to Midori and smiled. "I'll be fine," he promised. "How about after this, I'll make it up to you by helping you gather herbs?"

"You can't just-" Midori shook her head and sighed in frustration. "Y-You better pinkie promise, okay?" She held her pinkie up as an offer. Dwyer nodded and looped his pinkie with hers.

"I promise," he said. He stepped outside the tent and looked around. Velouria was gone from her post, but he could see her fending off Lord Corrin's tree house alongside her father. Everywhere he looked, there was a battle happening. He could see Asugi ducking and weaving through a small group of faceless that had surrounded him, the ninja stabbing into their legs, causing the monsters to tire. Dwyer smiled and glanced back at the area where the servants slept, including him. There were no faceless over there, surprisingly. Good, because if he was going to battle, he'd need his moon festival.

He was suddenly aware of a large presence behind him, and he turned around the see an especially large faceless staring down at him. Dwyer gulped and backed away, raising his shuriken. The faceless roared and reared its fist back, preparing to strike him down. However, before it had the chance to do so, it was struck from behind, and it fell down with a large thud.

Sophie sighed in relief and smiled, offering Dwyer her hand. Dwyer took it, and Sophie helped hoist him up onto Avel. "Thank gosh you're alright!" the cavalier cheered. "Avel and I were getting worried." She urged her horse onward, and they charged into the battlefield.

"I need to get to my place," Dwyer explained. "I need my moon festival."

Sophie nodded, her face full of determination. "On it!" she said. "C'mon, Avel!"

The horse neighed and went into a full gallop, dodging strikes from passing faceless left and right.

Finally the duo reached Dwyer's house, and the butler leaped off the horse as he ran to his house, not wanting to waste a second. Flinging the door open, he quickly grabbed his moon festival and ran back outside. He was just about to get back on Avel when suddenly he heard a scream. Turning his head, Dwyer gasped as he saw that a group of faceless were surrounding someone. Through the faceless' bulk, he could see that the girl was-

"Soleil!" Dwyer cried.

The flirtatious mercenary was cornered, and her sword was missing. Dwyer spotted it a few yards away from him. Dwyer bit his lip and glanced back at the faceless, then back at the sword. "Oh, I have to be nuts!" he hissed as he ran and picked up the sword, charging at the faceless with the blade raised high.

"Dwyer!" Sophie called to him, but Dwyer ignored the cavalier.

'I have to save her!' Dwyer thought. 'I won't let it end like this!'

He was angry, a feeling he rarely felt. No...this wasn't anger. This was rage! Rage directed at the faceless, and the cruel man who used his friend to summon them. Damn him, and damn all these monsters!

They hurt his friends, was he just supposed to stand by and watch?! Maybe once long ago, but now it was different. _He_ was different. And he'll be damned if he couldn't protect those he cared about. 'Soleil...' She was the one who started training him, and in turn he began training her. That was their friendship, that was how they bonded. When one was down, the other would be there to pick them up. They challenged, each other, encouraged each other.

He wasn't about to let that end.

"Get away from her!" he screamed as he swung the sword with all his might, surprising even himself with how easily the sword cut through the first faceless's back. The monster groaned as it sunk to the ground. Dwyer didn't waste a moment, stabbing into the faceless until it laid dead on the ground.

Sophie charged in as well, yelling at the faceless to draw some of their attention to herself. It only worked with a few, bu one stayed behind, standing up tall as if it were challenging Dwyer.

The butler caught Soleil's eye, she was staring at him with shock and awe. Dwyer smiled gently at her, before turning back to the faceless. The monster roared and charged at him, and Dwyer took a deep breath before charging as well. Closing his eyes, he ran straight into the faceless burying the sword deep into its belly. The faceless gasped and stumbled back, before teetering then falling flat on its back, giving out one last sigh.

Dwyer sighed and fell to his knees, before looking up at Soleil, who was still staring at him like he grew an extra head. She was safe...he did it! Dwyer smiled and gave a tired sigh, before slowly crawling towards her. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Soleil nodded blankly. "Y-Yeah..." she answered.

"That's good..." Dwyer rose to his feet, but stumbled. Soleil reacted quickly and caught the butler, helping him sit down. "Be careful," she urged softly. "Geez, way to be a hero..." She smirked almost nervously. "Who knew you had it in you, and who knew it would take so much out of you?"

"Soleil..." Dwyer breathed, before closing his eyes. "I'm sorry..." he murmured. "For everything...I should've took your feelings into consider-"

"And now you're apologizing here of all places?" Soleil scoffed, and when Dwyer opened his eyes he noticed that she was crying. "You idiot," she teased, voice cracking. "We're all fighting for our lives here!"

One of her tears fell onto Dwyer's face. Dwyer sighed and rose to his feet again, despite Soleil's protests. "I know..." he muttered. "So who knows if I'll get the chance to say it again..."

"You sound like you're going to take on the head honcho, for crying out loud."

Dwyer frowned. "I am."

Soleil blinked, before her eyes widened. "Wait, what?!" she gasped. "Dwyer, you can't be serious?!"

"I am," the butler repeated. "If someone doesn't take care of this, then the faceless will keep coming. We'll eventually be overwhelmed, and we'll all die."

"But, Dwyer!" Soleil rose to her feet and grabbed the butler's shoulder. "You can't! You...you aren't even a fighter!" She bit her lip and squeezed her eye shut. "Please, I...I'm scared of losing you!"

There was a pause, before Dwyer sighed and turned around, pulling Soleil into a hug. "You won't," he promised. "I already promised Midori too, and I'm sure half of you would go after me and kill me a second time if I died."

"B-But..."

Dwyer pulled away and smiled, just as Sophie came back. Dwyer quickly hopped onto Avel and said, "Sophie, we need to find Lord Corrin."

"On it," Sophie nodded.

"Dwyer, wait!" Soleil cried.

Dwyer turned back and saw Soleil staring at him with eyes that glistened with tears. "Once this is over, you owe me BIG TIME, got it?!"

Dwyer chuckled and nodded. "Got it," he answered. Sophie then urged Avel onward, charging straight into the middle of the battle.

It didn't take long to find Lord Corrin, he was busy cutting down faceless near the castle's entrance. Dwyer got off of Avel and rushed to his lord's side. "Lord Corrin!" he called out.

Lord Corrin decapitated the last of the faceless and turned to the butler, his eyes widening. "Dwyer!" he cried, briefly sheathing the Yato. "I'm surprised to see you up, are your injuries any better?"

Dwyer nodded. "Yes, thank you," he said. He turned to the entrance. "The dark mage behind this," he explained, "he's controlling Rhajat. He's using her the summon an endless wave of faceless, we have to stop them!"

Lord Corrin narrowed his eyes. "Rhajat?" he repeated. "Gods, no...But all those faceless, any more than what we have already and the strain will kill her!"

Dwyer nodded and took out his shuriken, gripping his moon festival as well. "We need to cut off his control over her."

Lord Corrin unsheathed the Yao and charged forward. "Come on, then!" he urged. "Your father and I had our share of battles together, it's time for the torch to be passed!"

Dwyer nodded and charged after Lord Corrin.

He was definitely different, he decided. Perhaps this was his way of maturing? One often had to in order to survive on the battlefield.

Well, whatever the case, it didn't matter. All he cared about was stopping the dark knight.

'Soleil, Velouria, Caeldori, Sophie, Kana, Midori, Rhajat, Mitama, Nina, Ophelia, Lilith, Asugi, Lord Corrin, hell...even Nah!' he thought.

No one messes with _his_ friends and gets away with it.

...

Nyx gasped as she barely dodged a strike from her brother's levin sword. Quickly catching herself, she fired a Ragnarok spell at him. However, the dark knight effortlessly moved out of the way, chuckling as he stalked towards his sister, his magical blade crackling dangerously. "You're tired, sister," he pointed out. "I suppose you're unused to partaking in duels. Your stamina must be on its last legs."

"I-It doesn't matter..." Nyx panted.

The dark knight shrugged. "No, I suppose it doesn't," he agreed. "Either way, you're already dead."

"It doesn't matter..." the dark mage repeated, eyes blazing. "Because no matter what, you will be stopped!"

"Empty threats have no meaning to me," the dark knight said as he roughly grabbed Nyx's hair, lifting her into the air. He ignored her pained cries and her futile struggles as he readied his levin sword, lining it up to pierce through her belly. "Goodbye, dear sister," he cooed maliciously. "It was fun."

"Put her down!"

The dark knight turned his head, and his eyes widened. "You!" he snarled, tossing Nyx away as he pointed his magical blade at Lord Corrin. "The traitor!" He grinned wildly. "I've been waiting a long time for this, and now you're serving yourself to me on a silver platter!"

"I didn't come alone." Lord Corrin said as he stepped to the side.

Dwyer stiffen when the dark knight bore his eyes straight through him, but he refused to show his fear. The dark knight's mask was off, finally allowing his face to be shown. He was surprisingly tan, his face covered in tattoos that must have had some mystic meaning behind them. His eyes were a bright gold, and he was so bald, it seemed like his head was glowing.

The dark knight snarled at the butler. "And you," he hissed. "You're not my main goal, but a thorn in my side nevertheless." He turned his head to the side, and gestured for someone to come forth.

Rhajat stepped out of seemingly nowhere, her eyes blank as she turned to face Dwyer. "Take care of the servant boy, will you, my dear?" the dark knight ordered, before turning to face Lord Corrin. "I have a score to settle with this man right here."

"Are you ready, Dwyer?" Lord Corrin asked as he shifted into a battle stance. "I know Rhajat's your friend, but under his control there's no doubt she'll try to kill you. Be careful."

"You too, Lord Corrin," Dwyer said as he nodded.

The dark knight gave out a roar as he charged at Lord Corrin, the dragonic prince barely managing to parry the strike. At the same time, Rhajat launched a horse spirit towards the butler, who rolled out of the way to dodge. Now separated from Lord Corrin, it was just Dwyer and Rhajat.

"Forgive me, Rhajat," Dwyer growled as he readied himself. "But I promise, you'll thank me later!"

...

 **Next time, it's Dwyer and Corrin versus Rhajat and the dark knight! And for those of you wondering, yes...the dark knight's name will eventually be revealed, there just hasn't been a reason for him to reveal it yet.**

 **...it's Hank. No, it's not. Don't forget to review! And remember, stay wykkyd!**


	34. FE Fates Tag Team Championship

**And so the tag team match begins! As Dwyer confronts his brainwashed friend Rhajat, Corrin must survive the dark knight's relentless onslaught! Can these two overcome the odds and save everyone in the castle from certain destruction? Enjoy the chapter and find out!**

 **...**

"I hope Dwyer and the others are okay," Mitama murmured as the local doctors patched up the last of the villagers. The faceless had retreated soon after the battle started, leaving the villagers to clean up the mess they left behind. Thankfully, there were no casualties as far as Mitama could tell, but still...

...it had been way too close.

No doubt the faceless were heading for Lord Corrin's castle, hell, they were probably already there. The poet could only hope that Dwyer made it on time. She wished she could go help, but right now her duty was here. One of the doctors had presented her with a basic healing rod, and so it was her duty to tend to the injured.

They probably never would've made it, if it wasn't for...

Mitama sighed as she finished healing her latest patient, before turning her head to address the young girl standing next to her. "I didn't get the chance to thank you before," she said, smiling. "If you hadn't shown up, who knows what would've happened?"

The girl shrugged and rubbed her arm. "Aw, it was nothing," she muttered. "I dealt with a lot worse before. They're nothing compared to the risen."

"The...risen?" Mitama shook her head. "Well, still, thanks...May I ask what your name is?"

"Nah."

Mitama blinked. "Um...excuse me?"

The girl rolled her eyes. "No, that's my name!" she groaned. "Nah! N-A-H! Why is it always so hard for people to get?!"

"Oh, um...sorry?" Mitama awkwardly apologized. 'If that's her name, then someone needs to have a serious talk with her parents...'

"Anyway, I probably shouldn't stick around much longer," Nah said as she turned around. "I need to get back to my mission, now that everything's alright around here." She looked over her shoulder and waved. "Take care, now!"

"W-Wait!" Mitama cried out, but Nah had shifted into a mighty dragon, rising up and soaring away. The poet stared after her in awe, before she shook her head and returned to her healing duties. "A dragon maiden," she murmured under her breath, "She came from a far off land/ What is her mission?"

She glanced up at the sky and bit her lip. "Dwyer," she whispered. "Please be safe..."

...

He had saved her.

Like some kind of macho idiot, Dwyer had leaped into the faceless that had surrounded her and fought them off...for her.

She had grown careless during the battle, eventually allowing the faceless to overwhelm her. She was certain that she was going to die at that moment, but then Dwyer showed up like a knight in shining armor. _Her_ knight in shining armor! The mercenary blushed and shook her head, trying to get those thoughts out of her mind. It wasn't fair...she was supposed to be mad at him, but she couldn't find it in her heart to do so. 'He saved me...' she thought as she looked at her sword that he used, the blade still buried in the faceless's belly.

And now, he was going off to fight against whoever it was that was doing this. Soleil gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. That idiot! He was going to get himself killed! Even after he was clearly tired, even after he wasted all his energy taking out the faceless, even though his shirt was mysteriously burned...

He just rushed off like an idiot.

She had to place her faith in him, she told herself. Dwyer would come back, and he'd be okay. She had to believe he would. Because if he didn't...if that idiot got himself hurt...

Soleil covered her mouth with her hand and sank to her knees, her shoulders shaking as she began to sob. Damn him, and damn all the faceless too! "Dwyer..." she cried, squeezing her eyes shut.

 _"I'm sorry..."_

He had apologized to her, he knew what he did and he used what could very well be his last moments with her to try to make up for it. He was going to get killed, he wasn't a fighter! He barely had enough combat experience, even with his training he still stuck to his main duty as a healer! "Dammit!" she screamed as she pounded her fist into the ground. "Why did you have to run off like that...?" she whimpered. "What could've possibly convinced you that was a good idea..? Why couldn't you stay with me?! I could've kept you safe..."

She wasn't ready to lose the one she loved.

"Why did you run away like that, Dwyer..?" she whispered. "Why...why did you leave me?"

'He's going to come back,' she told herself. 'H-He promised he would!'

But could she trust him..?

She loved him, she wanted to be with him more than anything, but she wasn't sure if she truly trusted him. He apologized, sure, but was that enough? One apology, then rushing off to war? Was that really his way of trying to patch things up between the two?! Soleil shook her head, feeling almost disgusted in herself for doubting him. More than anything, she wanted to believe him.

Why would he rush off like that...?

 _"I'm sorry..."_

Was there possibly more to that than what she had originally assumed? She wasn't so sure, but maybe...

She remembered how gently he smiled at her when he came to her rescue, as if he wasn't battling to the death with a horde of faceless. He smiled at her like he always did, as if he was letting her know that... 'He's there for me,' Soleil realized. Dwyer...that bastard, he was just too lovable to hate.

She had to believe that he would come back. She _would_ believe. "Come back to me," she whispered. "I still want to dance with you, Dwyer...I want to be by your side..."

Dwyer was going to come back.

Because one thing was for sure, he cared too much about his friends. Soleil knew he wasn't going to let her nor anyone else down. Not this time.

...

Dwyer hastily dodged a rat spirit and closed in on Rhajat, striking at her with his shruiken. The diviner ducked out of the way and shoved him away, immediately launching another attack to catch him off guard. Dwyer stumbled back as the rat slammed into his chest, the pain flaring up as it hit right where his burns were. 'Maybe Midori was on to something...' he thought as he clutched his chest, trying to will the pain away. He glanced up and saw Rhajat slowly approaching him, her bangs hiding her eyes from view.

"Rhajat!" Dwyer called out. "It's me, Dwyer! Your friend! Don't you recognize me?!"

The diviner paused her advance, and Dwyer dared hope for a second that she was going to break free without him having to hurt her. Rhajat brought her hand up to her head and hissed in what appeared to be pain, shaking like a leaf as she teetered from side to side. Dwyer narrowed his eyes and took a step forward. "Rhajat..?" he asked hesitantly.

Rhajat paused again, and this time took straight at the butler. Her eyes had an expression he couldn't read, but before he could think any further he was suddenly launched back by a surprise horse spirit. Dwyer fell to the ground and coughed, clutching his aching chest as he squirmed around, hardly able to breathe. 'Dammit!' he cursed. 'Dammit, dammit, dammit!'

 _"Try all you want, boy,"_ the diviner spoke with the dark knight's voice. Dwyer's eyes widened once he realized that the villain was speaking to him while fighting Lord Corrin. _"The girl is mine, you'll never be able to stop us."_

"You're wrong..." Dwyer hissed, struggling to make it to his feet. "I...I will save Rhajat...And I will stop you..!"

The diviner laughed and shook her head. _"You're a foolish boy!"_ she taunted. _"Look behind you, notice how even your precious master struggles against me!"_

Dwyer gritted his teeth and obeyed, glancing behind him. His eyes widened as he saw Lord Corrin get knocked back by the the dark knight, who in that moment turned to face the butler. "What chance do you think you have, boy?!" he taunted, laughing and throwing his hands into the air. "Once I'm finished with your master, I'll take a great delight in killing you too!" He grinned madly. "So do try to survive as long as you can, I want this to be interesting!" Without waiting to hear the butler's response, the dark knight ran over to where Lord Corrin laid, preparing to cut him down. However, the dragonic prince thought fast and rolled out of the way, stumbling to his feet.

He turned to Dwyer and his eyes widened. "Dwyer, behind you!" he warned, before parrying a strike from the dark knight.

Dwyer turned around and barely dodged another horse spirit. Rhajat rushed at him while firing off both a rat and snake spirit. Dwyer dodged the rat and barely avoided the snake. However, he was caught off guard as a second snake spirit shot out remarkably soon after the first. Dwyer turned to the side, the snake's magical body just grazing him.

Thinking quickly, Dwyer spun around and struck with his shuriken, catching the diviner's arm. Although the attack drew blood, Rhajat showed no sign of pain, instead ducking into the butler's space and punching him square in the jaw!

Dwyer stumbled back but caught himself, clutching his jaw in surprise. 'She...she punched me?!' He shook his head, and dropped his moon festival, a smirk now on his face. "So...that's the way it's going to be?"

The dark knight briefly took control of Rhajat again, tilting the diviner's head. _"What are you talking about, boy?"_ the diviner hissed. _"What's with that silly look?"_

Dwyer took a deep breath and raised his fists, narrowing his eyes. "There's a few things you don't challenge me to, sir," he said, slowly circling Rhajat. "One is a contest of coffee, the other is slappyface."

Rhajat blinked. _"Slappyface?"_

Without warning, Dwyer charged in, swinging a left hook. The diviner barely dodged, but Dwyer didn't let up, immediately spinning around and catching her with a backhand. Rhajat staggered, and Dwyer took this chance to strike again. 'I can't let her use her magic!' he told himself, forming a strategy. 'I was performing poorly earlier because she kept me at a distance, I can't let that happen again!'

He brought his knee up and caught Rhajat's chin, wincing as he did so. "Sorry, Rhajat!" he apologized, ramming a fist into her stomach. "You'll forgive me later, hopefully!"

"Dwyer, move!" Lord Corrin yelled, catching his attention.

On instinct, Dwyer obeyed, leaping out of the way and rolling to safety. He glanced up at saw the dark knight charging at him, before pulling away at the last second. "Damn you!" he cursed, firing off bolt of lightning from his sword.

"Not on my watch!" Lord Corrin hissed as he jumped in front of the butler, his Yato absorbing the damage. The dragonic prince turned to Dwyer and nodded, which the butler returned.

The dark knight snarled and turned to the waiting Rhajat. "You, girl!" he roared. "Keep them at a distance!"

Rhajat nodded and launched another snake spirit. At the same time, the dark knight launched more lightning at his foes, forcing Dwyer and Lord Corrin back onto the defensive. Dwyer rushed in with his fist raised, swerving out of the way of another lightning strike. Lord Corrin was close behind, catching the dark knight's levin sword with the Yato, allowing Dwyer to duck in and deliver a harsh uppercut. The dark knight stumbled back in surprise. "W-What?!" he gasped, before shaking his head.

"I'll handle him," Lord Corrin said as he dodged one of Rhajat's rat spirits. "Get back in there and save Rhajat!"

Dwyer nodded. "Yes, Lord Corrin!" Not wasting any time, he ducked underneath the dark knight's swing, swerving out of the way of another rat. Before Rhajat had time to react, Dwyer swooped down and picked up his shuriken, rising up and sticking it into the diviner's arm.

This time Rhajat cried out in pain, and even though it hurt Dwyer to cause his friend pain like this, he knew it was what he had to do. "I'll heal it for you after this is over!" he promised as he spun around Rhajat, delivering a kick to her back. The diviner gasped and turned around, firing a horse spirit that connected with the butler. Dwyer cried out as he fell to the ground, clutching himself in pain.

He forced himself to roll out of the way as another horse charged straight at him. At that moment the dark knight appeared out of nowhere, attempting to stab down at him. Dwyer managed to kick the sword away and rise to his feet, comically slapping the villain before returning to Rhajat. Before the dark knight had time to react, Lord Corrin's Yato caught his shoulder. Yelling in pain, the dark knight angrily turned around and fired a lightning bolt. It connected with Lord Corrin's abdomen and launched him back. Not wasting any time, the dark knight charged in for the kill, but the dragonic prince rolled out of the way and back on his feet.

Dwyer struck Rhajat's temple with his elbow, forcing the girl back. Rhajat groaned and held her head as she tried to keep her balance, but Dwyer kicked her in the stomach, causing her to collapse. Dwyer ended his assault and stepped back, wondering if he had just defeated Rhajat. He got his answer when the diviner launched a scroll he had never seen before. A living ink drawing suddenly launched at him, and splattered against Dwyer before he had time to dodge. Dwyer fell to his knees, surprised by the damage. 'Gods, it hurts so much!' He tried rising to his feet, but was knocked down by a rat spirit. Groaning, he looked up to see Rhajat standing over him, preparing to unleash the final blow.

Before she could, Lord Corin appeared out of nowhere and knocked her back. He turned and quickly helped Dwyer to his feet, then yanked him out of the way as a bolt of lightning from the dark knight's levin sword shot past. It accidentally collided with Rhajat, who cried out in agony as she collapsed onto the ground, unconscious.

"Rhajat!" Dwyer cried out as he rushed to the diviner's side. He lifted her into his arms, eyes wide. "Rhajat..." he whispered.

She was still breathing, thank gods...And with her knocked out, the endless swarm of faceless would finally be manageable. However...Dwyer narrowed his eyes as he set the diviner down, turning to face the dark knight, who was it battle with Lord Corrin.

'That's it!' Dwyer thought, rushing into the battle once he took the shuriken out of Rhajat's arm. He threw it with all his might, shouting a warning to Lord Corrin. The dragonic prince nodded and ducked, and the Hoshidan projectile sliced through the dark knight's cheek, causing him to cry out in agony and rage. Dwyer was quick to follow up, driving an elbow into his opponent's nose. He felt it break, and he smirked in satisfaction.

'Since he's wearing armor, the face is all I can damage,' Dwyer told himself as he ducked away, letting Lord Corrin swoop in to lash out with his sword. The dark knight barely caught it with his levin sword, and he shoved the dragonic prince away as he stumbled back, clutching his face.

"Damn you..." he cursed. "This was supposed to be my moment, why am I being defeated?!"

"Well, two versus one sounds right to me," Lord Corrin quipped with a shrug. His eyes narrowed. "I am a warrior of mercy. If you surrender now, I promise you'll be treated with respect."

"Respect?! Mercy?!" the dark knight threw his head back and laughed. "You slaughtered all my comrades, my commander Iago! Mercy?! BAH!" His eyes narrowed dangerously. "I lost everything because of you, traitor! I won't rest until I have your head! I refuse to lose!"

He rushed at them and swung his sword wildly. Lord Corrin dodged and struck the dark knight's back with his Yato. The dark knight hissed and turned around, firing another magical bolt. Lord Corrin dodged once more, and Dwyer made his move, weaving into the dark knight's defenses and striking his face with two quick jabs. He struck just above the dark knight's eye, and he backed away as it started bleeding heavily. The dark knight was forced to close one eye to keep the blood out, and he growled in frustration as he fired another magic shot. Both Dwyer and Lord Corrin dodged and looked at each other. They nodded and rushed in at the same time, striking the dark knight as one.

The dark knight gasped and stumbled back, before falling down in defeat. "N-No..." he muttered. "H-How...I'm not supposed to lose!"

"I'll tell you once again," Lord Corrin said as he stabbed his Yato in the ground. "Surrender. Now."

"Like hell I will," the dark knight snarled as he rose to his knees, panting heavily. He turned his bloodied face to Dwyer, and narrowed his eyes. "You, servant boy..." he called out. "The traitor called you 'Dwyer'...I'll remember that name." He brought his fingers to his mouth and whistled. A neigh was heard, and the dark knight's horse galloped into view. The dark knight rose to his feet and mounted his steed, wiping the blood from his nose as he stood tall, trying to keep whatever dignity he had left. "Make no mistake," he warned, "you may have won this time, but I will be back! I won't rest until _both_ of your heads are mine!" The dark knight urged his horse forward, and he galloped away.

Dwyer narrowed his eyes. "Should we go after him, Lord Corrin?" he asked.

The dragonic prince shook his head. "No, there are more important things to be worried about." He gestured at Rhajat, then at Nyx, who was beginning to wake up.

"What happened...?" Nyx looked up at the two and nodded. "Ah, so you two are still alive..." She stood up and glanced around. "But my brother is nowhere to be found...I suppose he's gotten away."

"Brother?" Lord Corrin repeated. "Nyx, you know him?"

The dark mage nodded. "Yes, he and I share the same blood." She sighed. "His name is Absalom, but I'm afraid that's all I have time to explain." She glanced over at Rhajat and frowned. "For now we should worry about her, I promise I'll explain everything afterwards."

"I'm holding you to that, Nyx," Lord Corrin said as Dwyer ran over to the diviner's side, grabbing his moon festival.

"I'm so sorry..." he whispered as he began healing the unconscious girl. "I wish I didn't have to hurt you." The diviner's body began to glow as the healing took affect.

"Dwyer...?"

The butler's eyes widened as Rhajat's began to slowly open. "Rhajat..." Dwyer breathed, before throwing his arms around the girl. "You're okay...you're okay..."

"Dwyer..." Rhajat began to tear up, before she flinging her arms around the butler and burying her face in his shoulder, sobbing loudly. "It was awful!" she cried. "The village...the village was gone by the time I arrived! I'm sorry, Dwyer, I'm sorry, Mother!"

Dwyer closed his eyes and held the girl close, feeling his own tears forming. "It's okay..." he soothed. "It's okay... I'm here, Rhajat. I'm here..."

...

 **From the moment Dwyer entered 'slappyface' to the end of the fight, I just wrote the whole damn thing to "I'm Back (To Rise!)" from Killer Instinct. Give it a listen if you haven't already. Anyway, the dark knight's name is finally revealed, Rhajat is saved, faceless are defeated, yay. Don't froget to review! And remember, stay wykkyd!**


	35. Destruction?

**Sorry for the wait, everyone! My sleep schedule screwed itself up all throughout the week, so it's mostly just been me resting up and getting everything sorted out before the school year officially starts. But anyway, enough about that... Enjoy the chapter, everybody!**

 **...**

"Flora's dead."

The words rammed into Dwyer like a brutal punch to the gut, and he felt his knees give out. He sank down and slammed his hands into the ground, staring blankly in shock. He could hear Lord Corrin take a few uneasy steps back, and Dwyer could only imagine how hard it was for the dragonic prince, who had grown up with blue haired maid, to hear the sudden news.

"Leo, are...are you certain..?" Lord Corrin gasped. "I mean, there's no way that-"

"I'm afraid that I am certain," Lord Leo, the one who had announced the maid's death, stated. His face betrayed no emotion, his voice as monotone as if he were discussing a game of chess. "My retainers found her dead outside the castle shortly after the battle had ended. Her neck and jawbone were broken by blunt force, what we can assume is the work of a faceless."

"But that's impossible!" Lord Corrin argued. "Flora would never go down that easily!"

Lord Leo shrugged and frowned. "There are many factors that could've been in play that we don't know about," he reasoned.

Dwyer bit his lip and clenched his hands into fists as he forced himself to stand up. He wondered how Felicia must be feeling, if they had even bothered to tell her at all. The butler knew that the sisters were close, much closer than ordinary siblings. So far away from the Ice Tribe, all the twins truly had for the longest time were each other. Dwyer glanced at Lord Corrin, who wasn't meeting anyone's eye. He was shaking, and Dwyer could hear him forcing back cries. Dwyer felt a lump form in his own throat, and he quickly turned away from the others so they couldn't see his face.

"She was outside of the castle..." Lord Corrin muttered. "I was there, I could've..."

"Brother, there's three castle exits," Lord Leo explained, offering a hand on the dragonic prince's shoulder. "You needn't blame yourself."

"Which exit was she found in?" Dwyer asked, speaking up for the first time since they had entered the war tent. A meeting had been called, and Lord Corrin and Dwyer were the last to arrive. It was just them and the rest of the royals, plus a few extra. Dwyer had expected an ordinary meeting that would've left him bored...the last thing he would've expected was this.

Lord Leo blinked in surprise when he realized it was Dwyer who spoke. His face quickly fell back to expressionless as he folded his hands behind his back. "The western exit," he answered.

Dwyer noticed Lord Corrin stiffen beside him, and the butler felt his stomach twist itself in a knot. 'That...That was where we were...' he realized, lowering his eyes. 'We were right there...how could we let this happen?!' He slowly grabbed at his hair and tightened his hands, squeezing his eyes shut. 'We were right there, dammit! How could we just let her die?!'

"If you two need a minute, we can postpone the meeting for now," Lord Ryoma commented, his face grim. "I understand how hard this must be to take in..."

"..." Lord Corrin shook his head and wiped his eyes, straightening himself. "N-No..." he assured. "I'm fine...I can mourn later in my own time..."

Dwyer looked up at his liege in surprise. "Lord Corrin..." he breathed. "...Are you sure?"

Lord Corrin nodded. "I am, Dwyer." he answered. "I...I need to be strong, Flora would've wanted me to be." He placed a hand on Dwyer's shoulder and patted it. "You...you can leave, though, if that's what you wish..."

It was a tempting offer, but Dwyer eventually shook his head. "No, I'm fine," he said, taking a deep breath. "Like you said, we can mourn later..."

'I have an obligation to be here, too,' he thought as he looked around the war tent. 'If I hadn't convinced Lord Corrin to postpone the march, then we all would've been safe...Flora wouldn't be dead...'

The feeling of guilt continued to gnaw on him, and he felt shivers run up his spine.

"Very well," Lord Leo said, "then let the meeting continue. First, we need to discuss our enemy."

"A dark knight from Nohr..." Lord Xander pondered, closing his eyes. "I wasn't aware that there were any who possessed enough power to summon all those faceless."

"Damn scum..." Lord Takumi hissed as he slammed his fist on the table. "If only I had the opportunity to kill him myself..."

"I'm afraid my brother wouldn't go down that easily."

Everyone's head shot up as they turned towards the tent's flat. The dark mage Nyx calmly entered, her expression carved from stone.

"You brother?!" Lord Takumi growled. "Does that mean you knew about this?!"

"Calm yourself, Takumi," Lord Ryoma urged.

Nyx shook her head. "I can understand why you might mistrust me, Lord Takumi," she said, "but I didn't know of my brother's plans until they already happened."

Lord Leo took a step towards the dark mage and narrowed his eyes. "It seems like you have much explaining to do, Nyx." He gestured towards one of the empty chairs that had been set up prior to the meeting. "Please, take a seat and tell us everything you know."

Nyx nodded her thanks and took her seat, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. Finally, she opened them. "Are any of you aware of Nicodemus the Gifted?" she asked.

The name sounded foreign to Dwyer's knowledge,yet familiar at the same time, and he glanced around the room to observe everyone else's reactions. The Hoshidans looked especially confused, but the two princes of Nohr nodded in understanding. "He's said to be among the most powerful mages in history," Lord Xander answered.

"He wrote many tomes that are considered sacred among many Nohrian mages," Lord Leo picked up, resting a hand on Brynhildr, his legendary tome. "Some even go as far as to say once wielded Brynhildr in battle, the only member of the royal family to be able to do so." He smiled and patted his tome. "You could say I'm somewhat of a fan of his."

"He had children," Nyx said, smirking at the young prince. She chuckled at the sight of his eyes widening. "Do not feel cheated, Lord Leo, it isn't common knowledge. His lineage was kept secret for many a year at his personal request. To be brief, I am his granddaughter." Her smirk grew at Lord Leo's further surprise. "I'm glad to know how highly you think of him, my prince."

Now that he thought about it, Dwyer remembered once reading something about the powerful mage when he was supposed to be cleaning the castle's extensive library. But for Nyx to be that man's granddaughter, that would make her well into her fifties at the very least.

"From a young age, my brother, whose name is Absalom, and I were trained in magic extensively." Nyx narrowed her eyes and lowered her head, staring at the ground. "From the start, he was naturally more talented than I, in more ways than one. Although I could be considered a prodigy, he was more so. Out of jealously, I turned to spells that were well above both our experience, and well..." She gestured at her entire body. "You can imagine the consequences. I was disowned by my father, and I haven't seen my brother since. We would occasionally contact one another through letters, though that was rare. It wasn't until today that we finally met face to face once more."

"Is this going anywhere?" Lord Takumi rudely butted in, scowling.

"My brother is very powerful," Nyx continued, ignoring the hot-headed Hoshidan prince. "His skill could arguably be comparable to Lord Leo's, and this battle proved it, with the amount of faceless he summoned..."

"It wasn't him summoning the faceless!" Dwyer suddenly blurted out, and he immediately regretted it as all eyes focused on him.

"...Go on." Lord Leo ordered.

Dwyer gulped and shuffled his feet awkwardly. "It...It was Rhajat..." he answered.

"Hayato's daughter?" Lord Ryoma asked, before nodding to himself. "Yes, we were curious when you brought her to the medical tent, and we were discussing why she was here now, after all this time."

"It...It's because Absalom was controlling her," Dwyer answered, clenching his fists as he remembered the pain Rhajat was put through. "He was using her to summon those faceless, putting all the strain on her instead of himself. He..." He gritted his teeth. "He was going to kill her, the strain would've been too much..."

"Despicable," Lord Leo hissed, before turning to the other members of the meeting. "Does anyone know if the girl is still in the medical tent?"

"Her father should be with her right now," someone spoke up, with others nodding in agreement.

"Well that's one problem solved..." Lord Leo murmured before clearing his throat. "Obviously, the man we're dealing with is not an opponent we should be taking lightly..." He turned to Lord Corrin. "Brother, you saw him escape, yes?"

Lord Corrin nodded. "Dwyer and I fought him and managed to briefly overwhelm him before he retreated..." he said.

"But now he knows the location of the castle..." Lord Takumi realized in frustration. "If he somehow manages to find another portal leading here..."

"Even without an army, who is to say he won't find another victim to do his bidding?" Lord Ryoma questioned.

"But what if we left the castle for good?" someone from the back asked.

Lord Xander shook his head. "Morale would go down," he reasoned. "And against someone like Absalom that's not something I think we can afford."

Dwyer nodded silently in agreement. He could understand what the crown prince of Nohr was trying to say: morale was important, it urged soldiers to do their very best and nothing less. It could make all the difference in a battle, especially against the faceless. If there was fear, the faceless would no doubt take advantage of that...

"I say we should march as soon as possible," Lord Leo advised as he unfolded a map and set it down on the table. "If we get to our destination as soon as possible, we could better prepare for the next time Absalom decides to strike. He turned his head to Lord Corrin. "You're the leader of this army, Brother, we could use your input."

"Oh! Sorry..." Lord Corrin sighed and ran a hand through his hair as he stepped forward and peered down at the map. "Well, um...Let's see here..."

Dwyer could tell that he was not needed, and he used the opportunity to duck out of the tent. He needed to get away from there, leave all of that to the actual leaders. The moment he was far enough away from the tent, he fell to his knees and threw up on the ground, shaking all over.

Flora was dead, and Dwyer couldn't help but put the blame on himself. If he hadn't convinced Lord Corrin to postpone the march, none of this would've happened. If he had paid attention, maybe he would've noticed Flora. Maybe he could've saved her, but it was too late now... She was gone, and the worst part was in the way she died. An ordinary maid, nothing more than another casualty of war.

She didn't deserve to die, Dwyer thought as he finished vomiting. 'She was a good woman, she deserved so much better...' He squeezed his eyes shut and pounded the ground. 'It's my fault...all my fault...'

Although not directly related, Flora had always insisted on Dwyer thinking of her as an aunt of some kind. Why? Who knew?! Perhaps it was simply a silent bond the retainers of Lord Corrin had that passed down onto him. "Flora..." the butler whispered. "I'm so sorry..!"

"Dwyer...?"

Dwyer's eyes widened, and he looked behind him to see Rhajat cautiously stepping out of the shadows. "Rhajat..." the butler whispered, standing up. "Shouldn't you be in the medical tent?"

"I was..." the diviner answered, looked away and rubbing her arm. "But I wanted to check up on you, so I convinced Father to let me go..."

"How is he?" Dwyer asked.

"Oh?" Rhajat blinked, then coughed. "I can't say for sure whether or not our relationship is healed, but...at least he's worried about me, I guess."

Dwyer nodded. "Yeah..."

"A-Anyway, I..." Rhajat glanced down at the ground and seemed to shrink. "I overheard the meeting..." She took a deep breath and stepped closer. "Is it true...Miss Flora is dead?"

Dwyer stiffened and nodded hesitantly. "Yeah..." he whimpered, turning away from the diviner. "She is...Did you know her?"

"Not really," the diviner answered. "I've seen her around here and there, cleaning up something...But I know that you knew her..."

Dwyer nodded. "...yeah..."

He felt Rhajat's hand briefly touch his shoulder, before she suddenly pulled it away. "I'm sorry..." she murmured. "I'm so, so sorry..."

Dwyer frowned and turned around. "It...It wasn't your fault, Rhajat..." he whispered. "No one blames you for what happened...it...It's my fault..."

Rhajat blinked in shock. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"We were supposed to march yesterday," Dwyer explained. "But...I convinced Lord Corrin to postpone it for a day, and now...All this happened."

"That doesn't make it your fault, Dwyer," Rhajat tried explaining, but the butler shrugged it off.

"And I was there when Flora died, but I never even noticed her," he whimpered, running a hand frantically through his hair as he paced back and forth. "She died, and I couldn't save her!"

"Dwyer..."

"And for what?!" Dwyer cried out, throwing his arms in the air. "So I could selfishly enjoy a date with someone I'm not even sure I want to be in a relationship with?!" Tears were streaking down his face as his breakdown continued. "Not only that, but two of my closest friends hate me because of some stupid decision! I drove them away when I should've been thinking for them! And here I am as the head of staff, only for one of them to die so soon?! Someone who I knew practically my _whole life?!"_

"Dwyer, please-"

"My parents are leaving me, my friends hate me, someone I cared about is dead, and I..." Dwyer threw himself to the ground and screamed, _"I can't take it anymore!"_

He sobbed, and all Rhajat could do was watch. She stared at him in shock, and she felt her own tears forming. Dwyer was always someone who kept his emotions in check, someone who kept a cool head in whatever situation life put him through, but here he was...and she wasn't sure what she was supposed to do. She had been away for so long, she never knew of any of these events that haunted him. She should've been there for him, she thought as she glanced up at the sky. 'Mother, what's happening?' she asked. 'Please, what should I do?'

"I'm sorry."

Both of their heads shot up, for it was not Rhajat who spoke. The two turned around and saw Caeldori standing there, her hand at her mouth and her wide eyes full of tears. Dwyer blinked and wiped his eyes, standing up and trying to quell his shaking and sobbing. "Caeldori, what-"

"All this pain you were going through," Caeldori gasped, stepping back. "All that hurting, and I didn't do a damn thing to help..."

Dwyer's eyes widened, and he took a careful step forward, reaching towards the crimson beauty. "Caeldori, please...It's not your fault..."

"And it's not your fault either!" Caeldori yelled, shocking Dwyer and making him pause his advance. "And yet...you're always blaming yourself..." She took a deep breath. "Did you mean it..?" she whispered. "When you said you weren't sure if you wanted to be with me...?"

Dwyer's blood turned to ice, and he opened his mouth to deny it, but the words wouldn't come out. He stood there, gaping like a fish, unable to rebuke Caeldori's claims. The crimson beauty looked at him and sighed, looking away.

"I knew it..." she whispered, closing her eyes to stop the tears from cascading down her face. "I should've guessed from the start...you only said yes because you felt like you _had_ to, huh?" She smiled sadly. "Typical Dwyer, always thinking about others...I appreciate you not wanting to break my heart, but if you weren't happy...you should've said something!"

Dwyer winced and glanced down at the ground, not meeting Caeldori's gaze.

Caeldori took a deep breath and took a few steps back. "If you don't want to be with me, you should've said so!" She bit her lip and shook her head. "But I know you would never say something to hurt someone you care about, so...I won't give you that choice."

Dwyer's eyes widened as he looked at the crimson beauty. "Caeldori...what are you saying?" he whispered loud enough for her and Rhajat to hear.

"I...I'm breaking up with you, Dwyer," Caeldori explained, unable to stop herself from crying on the spot. "You...You deserve better than me!" Without waiting for the butler's reaction, Caeldori turned tail and sprinted away, her weeping heard clearly even after she was long gone.

Dwyer stared blankly at where Caeldori once stood, before he slowly sank down to his knees, his hair falling over his eyes.

Rhajat shifted awkwardly from one foot to another, unsure of what to do. Finally she took a deep breath and took a hesitant step forward. "Dwyer-"

"Please go." Dwyer requested, his voice barely audible. It caught Rhajat by surprise, and she took a step back as Dwyer turned to face her. His eyes were full of tears, but he managed to give her what could be interpreted as a reassuring smile. "I'm not mad at you, Rhajat..." he said. "I just...I just need some time, okay? I promise I'll check up on you later, though..."

'Even now, you're still worrying about others...' Rhajat thought as she nodded, knowing there was no arguing with the butler. 'What if this goes too far someday? What if that care leads to something even worse than now?'

As she slipped away, Rhajat could practically hear Dwyer's composure break, and she squeezed her eyes shut as she continued walking. Was this her fault? Even if it wasn't, she still felt guilty.

Dwyer watched as Rhajat walked away, before collapsing onto the ground. 'When did things get this bad?' he asked himself. 'Why is everything going so...wrong?'

He was sick and tired of it all, he felt like he wanted to just lay here forever and give up.

A footstep.

Dwyer squeezed his eyes shut and turned away from the noise. "Go away," he hissed.

"No," a familiar voice answered. "I'm not Rhajat, and I know letting you sit here and mope won't change a thing."

Dwyer's eyes widened, and he slowly turned around. "Soleil...?"

The mercenary gave him a bittersweet smile and walked forward, extending her hand to him. "So what do you say?" she asked him quietly. "Would you let me have this dance?"

...

 **So there it is, in a sense! The metaphorical destruction, one could say! Is it directly Rhajat's fault? No, not really. She was forced to summon a faceless that killed Flora, which led to this moment where Dwyer's composure is destroyed. Or at least, that could just be one way to look at it. Anyway, don't forget ti review! And remember, stay wykkyd!**


	36. I'll Always Be Here

**Well sorry for the wait, but work and school both exist, so... That's a thing. That and I'm always near having a heart attack because my best friend has no sense of personal safety and is always getting herself pretty damn injured one way or another...today her legs were nearly snapped in two. She's officially lost her walking privileges, I'm carrying her dumb ass everywhere from now on.**

 **But enough about my personal life, you guys aren't interested in that anyway! So just sit back and enjoy the chapter, everyone!**

 **...**

Soleil had witnessed the entire thing.

She first noticed Rhajat approaching Dwyer and was curious enough to eavesdrop on the two. What she had both seen and heard nearly destroyed her heart. The mercenary brought a hand up to cover her mouth in order to keep herself from crying out, and she slowly backed away as tears formed in her eyes.

'He's been holding on to all that pain?' she thought as she sunk down to her knees. 'That idiot...Doesn't he get yet that we're here for him? Why does he have to be so stubborn and never allow himself to get the help he needs?'

Dwyer continued his rant, unaware of Soleil's presence, and something he said caused her to flinch back. 'He...He thinks I hate him?' She shook her head furiously. 'Of course I don't hate him! I could never hate him!'

She guessed she could understand why he would be under that assumption...it wasn't like she went out of her way to make things right between them. Soleil turned away from the butler and wrapped her arms around herself, wishing she knew what to do. Ophelia might have had an answer, but she wasn't too sure. She felt guilty, she felt partially responsible for the butler's breakdown, and that feeling gnawed its way through her entire core. She squeezed her eyes shut and hiccuped, wishing desperately that things could've gone back to a simpler time. A time when she wasn't in love with Dwyer, a time when the butler's biggest problem was dealing with a chatterbox, a time before all this heartbreak and suffering had to happen.

She just wished it could all go away.

A new voice caught her attention, and when she looked up she saw Caeldori standing in front of Dwyer. She spoke in a whisper, making it hard for Soleil to make out what the crimson beauty was saying, but it obviously affected Dwyer. The two exchanged a few words, before suddenly Caeldori sprinted away, her sobs echoing throughout the area.

'So her heart's aching too...' Soleil thought, momentarily worrying over the Hoshidan. She found herself disgusted with herself when her next feeling was relief that Caeldori was now out of the picture, and she quickly shoved the feeling down, shaking her head. 'What's wrong with you?!' she scolded, smacking herself. 'You shouldn't be feeling better, you jerk!'

"Please go," she heard Dwyer say, and it took her a moment to realize he was speaking to Rhajat. When the diviner recoiled, Dwyer turned to her and gave his signature gentle smile, the kind that always assured you things were going to be okay. He told Rhajat that he wasn't mad at her, and that he would make things up to her later. Soleil bit her lip and frowned, noting how even now, Dwyer still put others before himself.

Rhajat conceded, and she was soon gone, leaving Dwyer all by himself. The mercenary watched as her friend suddenly slumped and begin to cry, his facade finally breaking now that he thought no one was around. Soleil's heart broke at the sight, and she wished there was some way, any way she could help.

There was only one thing she could think of.

Taking a deep breath, Soleil stepped out of her hiding, her footstep alerting Dwyer of her presence. He didn't glance her way as he hissed, "Go away."

Soleil was silent for a moment, before she shook her head and stepped forward once again. "No," she responded. "I'm not Rhajat, and I know letting you sit here and mope won't change a thing."

Dwyer finally looked up, and his eyes widened. "Soleil...?"

The look in his eyes revealed it all, all the pain he was hiding. She could tell he was scared of her, probably not expecting anything good to come out of her mouth. It hurt, seeing him look at her with distrust like that, but she steeled herself as she smiled gently and held her hand out. 'Please, let me help you,' she silently begged, 'let me help you in the same way you help me!'

"So what do you say?" she asked quietly, feeling her heart pound in her chest. "Would you let me have this dance?"

"..." Dwyer stared at her hand for a few moments, not breathing. Finally, he exhaled slowly and turned his head to look at Soleil's face. "What..?"

"Dance with me," Soleil said, offering her hand again. "Please, I need to apologize to you..."

"Apologize..?" Dwyer shook his head, feigning innocence. "Soleil, there's absolutely nothing for you to apo-"

"Yes there is!" Soleil hissed, suddenly startling the butler. Soleil shook her head as she dropped to her knees, gripping her friend's shoulders in frustration. "Dwyer, do you really think I hate you? _Idiot!_ I could never in a hundred years hate you!" She squeezed her eyes shut and threw herself on top of him, wrapping her arms around him as the two fell down onto the floor. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry for making you think I hate you! I'm sorry for all this pain you're going through and me being too blind to see it!"

"Soleil-"

"And you should be sorry too!" the mercenary continued, weakly smacking Dwyer's shoulder as she sobbed into his chest. "Y-You always think you're a tough guy, huh? Y-You think you can handle these things on your own but you _just can't!_ No one can, that's what friends are for! That's what _I'm_ for! SO please, please just TALK to me, dammit! Let me h-help you! Don't hold on to any of this by yourself, even if no one else is willing to help..." She looked up at him and grabbed the butler's face. _"I'll always be here for you!"_

Dwyer stared blankly at the mercenary, his eyes the size of saucers. He felt something run down his cheek, and when he brushed his hand against himself, he realized he was crying. 'She's right...' he thought as he stared at the tear on his hand. He had heard that speech many times before, from all his friends in many different ways, but only now was he truly able to grasp the meaning. 'She's right...I'm only hurting everyone else by doing this.' He gritted his teeth as he thought on the situation. 'A butler should serve, not show up. He's a servant, and with that occupation comes the mentality that comes with it...'

He thought he was doing his job when he helped everyone with their problems, constantly putting his problems aside for them. That's what a servant was supposed to do, right? His only purpose in life was to serve those above him, a lesson his father constantly drilled into him when he was younger. 'It's not true...' he realized. 'I'm not just the servant, am I? I'm only hurting others by doing this, that is the lowest of the low for a butler...I've failed my duty.' He narrowed his eyes. 'By hurting others, I hurt myself, which hurts them...It's an endless cycle I've willingly allowed myself to get caught in...'

He had failed as a butler.

He wasn't going to make that mistake again.

Soleil was surprised when Dwyer slowly drew her closer to himself, burying his face in her hair as he gently stroked her back. "You're right..." he murmured. "You, Velouria, everyone...You were all right..." He took a deep breath. "I couldn't save Flora...but I saved you, didn't I?"

"Y-Yeah..." Soleil breathed.

Dwyer smiled gently. "Then...then I guess I did some good after all..." He tightened his arms around the girl. "I promise, I'll keep all of you safe, Soleil...And you'll keep me safe, correct?"

"Of course..." Soleil whispered, closing her eyes and smiling gently.

"Then there's nothing to worry about, I guess..." Dwyer pulled himself away from Soleil and stood up, offering the mercenary his hand. "After this dance...I'm going to take a nice, long rest..."

Soleil broke into a smile and took the butler's hand, letting him hoist her up. She shivered in delight as his hand rested itself on her waist, and she gently laid her own on her partner's shoulder. "I'll hold you to that," she teased as Dwyer stepped to the right, guiding Soleil along.

She missed this feeling, she missed his arms around her as they wordlessly moved in perfect rhythm. On her own, she could barely get through a basic two step without stumbling over herself, but it was always a different case with Dwyer. With him, she was flawless. With him, she could feel every ounce of her grandmother's spirit coursing through her.

She looked into Dwyer's eyes, and she couldn't be happier when she saw the life return to them, slowly but surely. He was enjoying himself, it was one of the few times he ever truly expressed himself.

She had the urge to kiss him right there, but she stopped herself. As much as she loved him, she couldn't do this to him... Not so soon, at least. Smiling gently and licking her lips, the mercenary rested her head against the boy's chest, closing her eyes as she found content with this. She could hear his heartbeat, and in that one moment...

...she completely forgot she was here to help him.

...

After Flora's funeral, the army was set to march immediately. Lord Corrin hadn't been able to explain much, but he did mention that they had decided that they wouldn't be returning to the astral plane for awhile, possibly a month or two...or three. Maaaaybe four. Dwyer was disappointed by the news, but he couldn't find fault with his lord. With Absalom knowing their location, it was too dangerous to stay in the castle and wait for him to arrive. There was only so much preparing they could do there, they had to first gather supplies from the outside world. When they eventually returned, there were two solutions: Either Absalom would be there waiting for them, or they would simply have to wait for his return. Perhaps if they were lucky, they would run into him before he had a chance to strike, unlikely as the situation seemed.

No matter what the scenario, there was going to be a tremendous battle.

Dwyer stared wordlessly at his silver dagger, which had been recovered from the forest outside the astral plane by Selkie and her father earlier that morning. 'If I had this...could I have done more?' he wondered, before shaking his head. No, he wouldn't allow those thoughts to invade his mind, he had to remain strong...At least for now. He had managed to save Soleil's life, that was enough.

It still hurt, having basically traded a life for a life, but Dwyer told himself that Flora would've rather Soleil been saved.

Most of those attending the funeral had already left, wanting to make final preparations before the long march awaiting them. Flora's coffin had been carried out, so there was no reason to stay...and yet Dwyer remained fixed to the spot he had stood for the entire service. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Felicia approaching him. The young butler took a deep breath and turned to face the clumsy maid, who stopped short of two feet in front of him.

They didn't speak for awhile, but Dwyer broke the silence with, "I'm sorry for your loss..."

Felicia frowned and lowered her eyes, wringing her hands together tightly. "It hurts more than anyone could ever know..." she murmured. "I miss her so much, I have no idea what to do without her..." She took a deep breath and glanced behind her, before turning back to Dwyer. "But I have to keep a brave face on, you know? For my family's sake, I have to find the strength to keep going...I know that's what Flora would've wanted..."

Dwyer nodded and bit his lip. "Yeah..." he replied, not entirely sure what to say.

"I think she was there because...she was trying to save you."

Dwyer blinked and looked up at Felicia in shock. "H-Huh?" He tilted his head to the side. "She was trying to save me...? Why? I would think she would be more concerned with Lord Corrin, being his retainer and all..."

Felicia smiled sadly and paused to wipe a tear from her eye. "I'm the only one who ever knew, but you see...Flora had feelings for your father..." she admitted.

"S-She did..?" Dwyer shifted his stance awkwardly. "O-Oh..."

Felicia nodded. "She always had, from the moment they met..." she continued. "Although, I don't think he ever noticed." She tapped her chin curiously and frowned. "Though, knowing him...maybe he did and just decided to ignore it." She blinked. "B-But anyway...even after he married Miss Charlotte, Flora still never let go of her feelings for him...And I think she...She may have looked at you and saw him." She smiled sadly and wiped another tear from her eye. "She saw something in you that convinced her that risking her life just to protect you, even if it killed her, was worth it..."

"..." Dwyer kept his eyes trained on the ground, not responding to the maid until she tapped his shoulder.

"I see it too, y'know..." she whispered gently. "You're a special boy, Dwyer...Never forget that..." She took a shaky deep breath and suddenly brought the younger servant into a brief hug, before pulling away and waving at him, walking back to where her family was waiting for her.

Dwyer stared after Felicia, unable to know what he was supposed to think. Felicia acted...surprisingly wise, though she was the adult, so maybe he shouldn't have been too shocked. Dwyer shook his head and scratched the back of his head, frowning. 'Something in me, huh?' he thought as he looked down at himself. 'I wonder what...'

"She's right, you know!"

Dwyer jumped and spun around, holding his fists out defensively. Charlotte stared at her son blankly before bursting into laughter, much to Dwyer's embarrassment. Blushing, he kicked the dirt up and frowned. "Mother..." he hissed. "Please don't sneak up on me like that, I could've hurt you!"

Charlotte scoffed and shook her head. "Yeah, I'd like to see that," she quipped, before a gentle smiled appeared on her face. "But seriously, I have to agree with Felicia there...You are pretty special, whether you realize it or not."

Dwyer gulped and tugged at his collar. "Mother, you're just saying that..."

Charlotte shook her head and ruffled her son's messy hair playfully. "There are things even I don't lie about, son." she said, before motioning for him to follow. "Come, there's something your father and I have to discuss with you."

Dwyer raised an eyebrow but didn't question anything as he allowed his mother to lead him to the living quarters she shared with Jakob. A bad feeling formed in his gut, and Dwyer just knew something wasn't right...he wanted to ask his mother about it, but he decided it would be better to wait for her and Jakob to explain once they were ready.

Finally, they reached his parents' room, and after taking a deep breath Charlotte opened the door and stepped inside, motioning for Dwyer to follow. The butler gulped and a ran a hand through his blonde hair, an exact replica of his mother's shade, and hesitantly stepped inside. Jakob sat on the bed, and Dwyer was quick to notice the suitcase sitting at his father's feet. Dwyer felt his blood run cold as he realized what was happening.

Jakob noticed his son's distress, and he sighed wearily and ran a hand through his hair, a habit he had picked up from the younger butler. "It was a hard decision," he began, "your mother and I discussed it all night. So soon after a battle, it may seem cowardly to leave, and I'm rather reluctant to leave Lord Corrin's side after yesterday."

"Then don't," Dwyer said without thinking.

"Oh, honey..." Charlotte cooed, massaging her son's shoulders as she stepped behind him. "Please, just listen to your father..."

Jakob nodded and stood up, straightening his appearance. "Son, I know what you're thinking right now..." he said. "Trust me, if there was another way we'd take it, but...If your mother and I participate in this march...We'd never be able to settle down in the village." He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "It was easily the hardest decision I've had to make, but in the end I decided to put my family first. As soon as you leave for the march, your mother and I will head in the opposite direction towards a new life." He placed a hand on his son's shoulder and squeezed it gently. "Do you understand?"

Of course he understood, but that didn't mean he liked it. They were leaving for real, earlier than they had intended. Dwyer clenched his hands into fists and gritted his teeth. Damn that Absalom! If he hadn't attacked, none of this would be happening!

He wanted to drop to the ground and beg his parents to stay, but he knew there decision was final. He still remembered what they had said to him when they first announced their moving. _"Your friends will be there for you..."_

He remembered his dance with Soleil the previous night, and he found himself slowly nodding. Taking a deep breath, he smiled gently at his father and patted the older butler's arm. "I understand, Father," he said. "I wish you and Mother the safest of travels."

"That's my son..." Jakob whispered, smiling in return. His eyes were beginning to water, but he wiped them clean before Dwyer could notice. Wordlessly, Jakob wrapped his arms around his son and brought him into a tender hug, one which Dwyer gladly returned. Another pair of arms joined them, and the whole family of three stood there in silence, simply enjoying each other's presence.

After all...who knew when they would be able to embrace each other like this?

...

Nah sighed as she studied the ladybug that had made itself comfortable on her knee, a slight breeze picking up behind her. A few hours had passed since she helped save the town from the...what were they called again? The name slipped the young manakete's mind, so she opted to simply come up with a new one. "Let's see..." she hummed to herself. "What about...Brady's?"

She giggled to herself as the image of the rough priest formed in her mind, and she remembered how angry he'd get over her acting like his little sister. Those were simpler times, times that she missed. That was a thousand years ago.

Well...technically no? When she went searching for her friends and had discovered the Outrealm gates, she quickly discovered that time always flowed differently depending on the world visited. While she had spent a thousand years in this unknown land, simply waiting for the right time for her friends to show up, back home in Ylisse only a few short, unimportant years would most likely pass. However, that did not stop the pain she felt...that fear of not being able to find her way back home...the thought of her friends, her husband, living their lives without her...It was terrifying to think about.

She was taken out of her thoughts by the sound of a horse approaching, as well as a string of violent curses. As if sensing the dark presence, the ladybug suddenly took off, leaving young Nah alone with the stranger.

"...damn traitor! He dares make a fool out of me?! And that brat...Dwyer...I swear I'll remove that head of his from his shoulders myself! I won't be stopped, I will have my revenge!"

'...someone has issues...' Nah thought as she watched the dark knight approach on his mount, unaware of the manakete's presence. Nah tilted her head as the man continued to shout nonsense at the sky, waving his fists around. Nah smelled blood on him, and her eyes widened. "Sir, are you alright?" she asked, rising to her feet.

"I'll come back with a hundred, no...a _thousand_ faceless under my command!"

"Sir, you're bleeding..." Nah tried again.

"...I'll turn him into a flea, a harmless little flea! And then I'll put that flea inside of a box, and then I'll put that box inside of another box, and then I'll mail that box to myself-"

"SIR!" Nah shouted, causing the dark knight to whip his head towards her.

"WHAT!" he roared, drawing his levin sword. Nah 'eeped' and jumped back, clutching her dragonstone just in case the man decided to attack.

The dark knight stared at her for a few seconds, before he growled and sheathed his lightning-shaped sword. "Leave, little girl," he warned. "Before I decide to use you as target practice..."

"Oh! Um..." Nah slowly began backing away. "Okay then...Mister Rude-Guy..."

"Wait, come here!" the dark knight suddenly ordered, dismounting his horse. He took a few steps towards her, smirking deviously underneath his skull mask. "There's something strange about you, little one...A power I sense within you, something...I've never seen before." He extended his hand towards her, and it slowly began to glow. "Hold still for me..." he commanded in a hypnotic voice. "You'll fit in quite nicely with my plans..."

"Ah...Ah..!" Nah's eyes widened as she felt herself grow heavy, and her vision began to cloud over. 'What...what's happening to me...?' she wondered, struggling against the force that was enveloping her. 'I can barely move...is this...is this how it ends?'

She felt herself begin to cry, and she closed her eyes in defeat as she allowed the man's spell to completely overtake her. 'Owain...Severa...Inigo...I'm sorry...'

What would they do in this situation?

 _"Hold, villain! You will not taint this benevolent creature with your foul magic any longer!"_

 _"GAWDS! Let her go, you creep!"_

 _"My my, I can't just leave a pretty girl in danger, right?"_

Yeah...that was what they would say, alright...

Eyes snapping open, Nah brought her foot up as high as she could kick, and a sickening crunch was heard as it made contact with something between the dark knight's legs. Immediately, the spell that was covering the manakete broke as the dark knight collapsed with a sharp gasp, and Nah took this chance to bolt away. "Get away from me, you sick pervert!" she shrieked as she shifted into a dragon, flying away as fast as she could.

"Dammit..." Absalom hissed as he rolled around on the ground. "Today just isn't my day, is it?"

...

 **HAHA, that was cringy! :'D**

 **Anyway, I'm just gonna give you guys a tidbit of info before I let you go. Does this story follow the Revelations route? Well, yes and no. Technically, it does in order for Dwyer to interact with all the females, but at the same time...I guess you can say it's an alternate version of Revelation, where all that bad stuff? Doesn't really happen. (Spoiler) Gunter ain't really betraying anybody and I haven't even mentioned Scarlet. Izana's probably dead but I like to pretend he isn't. Dwyer's story is entirely separate from the games, as I personally feel that bringing up the game's events would be too distracting from what I'm actually trying to write. So...yeah, just a little something I felt like I had to bring up.**

 **Don't forget to review! And remember, stay wykkyd!**


	37. Bifrost

**Been awhile, hasn't it? Yeah...sorry about that, but...life has been really hard these past few months. I lost a lot of my close friends, a great girl, and most of my own self worth. Lots of times I considered taking my life just to end the suffering, but, well...I can't just leave you guys without any conclusions to this, can I?! I still consider this story the best I have ever written, there's no way I can just give up on it! Not after all the shit I put up with just to write it! So here we go, let's hope I still got the mojo to pump out something worthwhile. Happy reading, guys!**

 **...**

"Almost there...almost there..."

Asugi watched the cookies intently as they baked inside the oven, him being not willing to budge an inch away from his task. Almost there...almost there...

The faceless attack took a lot out of the army, the morale was in complete shambles. He may have been a humble ninja with a sweet tooth, but even he could see the results of the exhausting battle. It was tough to stomach, knowing that they had only just scraped by, by the skin of their teeth. He had heard that one of their comrades, a maid named Flora, had perished in the battle. Even though Asugi hardly knew who she was, her death still left a pit in his stomach.

Flora's death was a grim reminder that none of them were invincible.

Invincible...Asugi would be lying if he said he never felt like that sometimes. Unlike many others, he never stared death in the face, there was never a time when he was certain he would die. He didn't doubt that the others his age felt the same way. They had so many good memories together, it was easy to forget that they were in fact at war. It felt like no matter what happened, he and his friends would always make it out unscathed.

He shuddered at the thought of losing any of his friends. Gods, what if it was Midori instead of Flora? His cousin was only a little girl, and she was in just as much danger as the rest of them. Midori shouldn't be fighting at all, she was simply too young!

Weren't they all a bit too young, though? Shiro was the oldest of the children, but even then he was only eighteen...still too young if Asugi thought about it. He himself was only seventeen, not too far behind. But what of the youngest? Midori and Percy were thirteen, but Kana was twelve! _Twelve!_

'This war is more screwed up than any of us thought.' Asugi said to himself.

He wished he could be more like Dwyer, nothing seemed to phase that guy. Looking at the butler and his apathetic attitude towards basically everything, Asugi compared him to a rock. Something to stand on. Maybe that's why so many people trusted him a great deal, he could handle what they couldn't. ASugi snickered to himself. Of course, being raised by Jakob probably did that to a man.

The cookies he were currently baking were a comfort of source. He wished he could say he was selfless enough to be baking them for the whole army, but alas he was human, he was selfish. They were for him and for him only, something to snack on as he tried to slow down his racing thoughts. He needed this, he needed to numb the sting of Flora's death.

The cookies were just about done, he noticed. Humming to himself, he slid on his oven mitts and pulled open the oven door. He reached inside and slowly began taking out the fresh batch of cookies. However, his bare arm brushed against the outer edge of the scalding oven, and a small but intense burn formed on it. Asugi cried out in pain and quickly tore the cookie out and at them on the counter top, slamming the oven door shut with his foot.

Asugi hissed and took a look at his arm, gritting his teeth. "Holy shit pickles..." he gasped as he gently blew on the burn.

Another reminder that he wasn't invincible.

He was just glad his father didn't see his clumsy display, the old man would never let him live it down. That stupid 'master of explosives'... Asugi briefly wondered if his father ever felt fear in battle, but he soon brushed it aside. If Dwyer was a rock, then Saizo was pure steel. No way in hell anything could even remotely scare him.

He lifted one of the cookies and took a bite out of it, humming in delight. Another job well done, he decided, scarfing down the remains of the cookie. And to think, there were still so many more for him to snack on.

A sudden noise caught the ninja's attention, and his head perked up curiously. "What the..." he muttered to himself, approaching the kitchen door. The noise was growing closer, and Asugi raised an eyebrow. "Is someone...crying?"

Why would someone be crying at this late hour. Asugi bit his lip, and was right about to open the door when suddenly it flung itself open, smacking against his face and sending him crashing onto the floor. Whoever was the source of the crying bolted past him, not even acknowledging his presence. The person, a girl from the sound of the crying, stopped at the counter top when she noticed the cookies. She stared at them curiously, and Asugi let out a groan as he slowly rose to his feet.

"Yeesh, watch out for ninjas next time..." he hissed, rubbing his jaw.

The girl turned around. "I-I'm sorry!" she stuttered, clutching her hands together.

Asugi frowned. "Caeldori?" he asked. "What are you doing here?"

Caeldori wiped some tears from her eyes and looked around. "I...I didn't mean to come here, I just wanted to be alone..." She ran a hand over the counter top. "This is where Dwyer usually is..."

"Uh...yeah, I guess so," Asugi awkwardly agreed, rubbing the back of his neck.

The crimson haired beauty then bowed to the ninja, looking apologetic. "I'm sorry, I'll leave you alone, Asugi." She made her way out of the kitchen, but Asugi suddenly grabbed her arm, keeping her in place.

"Wait!" he called. He bit his lip. "Why don't...Why don't you stay and tell me what's wrong?"

"..." Caeldori kept her eyes trained to the floor.

"...I baked cookies?" Asugi offered.

Caeldori hesitated, but then sighed and nodded. She moved towards the kitchen table and sat down, her eyes lowered. Asugi sighed as well and grabbed the batch of cookies, placing them on the table in front of her. "So tell me what's wrong," he said gently.

"I..." Caeldori looked away. "I broke up with Dwyer..."

Asugi blinked. "But why?" he asked.

"Because he..." Caeldori caught her breath, and soon she broke into tears. "He didn't want to be with me!" she sobbed. "He only went out with me so he wouldn't break my heart!" She slammed her fist onto the table, burying her face in her other arm. "I was such an idiot! All that stress he was suffering...BECAUSE OF ME!"

"H-Hey now!" Asugi protested. "Don't go blaming yourself, Caeldori, it wasn't your fault...You had no idea what he was feeling, you shouldn't go putting the blame on yourself for his problems."

"But...if I hadn't pressured him, if I hadn't been _so desperate,_ none of this would've happened!" She looked up at Asugi, tears cascading down her cheeks. "His best friends hate him because of me, Asugi!"

"Dammit, it ain't you fault!" Asugi barked, taking a cookie and forcefully stuffing it into the beautiful girl's mouth. "None of Dwyer's problems are your fault, Caeldori! Dwyer shouldn't have allowed himself to partake in something he didn't want to, that's on him. And it was HIS actions that turned his pals away, not yours!" He gripped her shoulders tightly. "Do you understand, Caeldori? _It wasn't your fault!"_

Caeldori stared at Asugi wide eyed. "A-Asugi..." she breathed.

The ninja took a deep breath and calmed himself down. "Now I ain't saying it'll be easy trying to move on, but if you ask me, this was Dwyer's loss, not yours. You just gotta hold your head high and not let this get to you, understand?"

"You..." Caeldori blinked as another tear ran down her face. "...are very convincing."

"I sure as hell hope so!" Asugi sighed, letting go of Caeldori's shoulders. "Sorry for being so rough."

Caeldori giggled softly. "No worries," she assured him.

"Now," Asugi began, gesturing at the cookies in front of the two of them. "I have a whole batch of cookies here, and I doubt I can eat them all on my own." He smirked. "If only there was a lovely lady to help me out here..."

Caeldori chuckled and shook her head. "Well, I'm not sure about your 'lovely lady', but I suppose I can help you out instead."

'Glad you're feeling better, Caeldori,' Asugi silently said as he bit into another cookie. 'Dwyer doesn't know what he's missing out on.'

...

"Where is it?" Dwyer murmured as he felt his way through the forest. "I know it's here somewhere..."

"What exactly are we looking for?" Nina asked, suddenly appearing behind him.

Dwyer didn't even flinch. "My silver dagger," he explained. "I lost it when fighting off the dark knight. It should be here somewhere..." He pointed at some trampled underbrush. "That's where his horse was, so we shouldn't be too far away from it."

"A silver dagger, huh?" Nina pondered, tapping her chin lightly. Her eyes suddenly lit up. "Oh, you mean this thing?" She reached into her bag and pulled out...a silver dagger, the same exact one Selkie had gifted Dwyer.

Dwyer nodded and reached for it. "Um...Why did you have that?" he asked as he sheathed it at his side, raising an eyebrow at the outlaw.

Nina shrugged and chuckled sheepishly. "I...might've been looking for things to sell..." she admitted.

"Why on earth would you need to sell anything?"

"I'm low on money, okay?!" Nina suddenly hissed, folding her arms over her chest. "I'm having a bit of writer's block, but I still need to keep my funds up!"

"Writer's block?" Dwyer repeated, curious. The answer struck his head soon after, though. "Gods...you're talking about those smut books about me and Ignatius, are you?!"

"THEY'RE NOT SMUT!" Nina argued, face bright red. "THEY'RE ART, OKAY?!"

"I never gave you permission to write about me, anyway!" Dwyer shot back accusingly, jabbing a finger at the girl. "Seriously, why me and Ignatius?! This doesn't have anything to do with the camping trip, does it?"

"Only the gods can judge me, Dwyer," Nina said cheekily, sticking her tongue out.

Dwyer ran a hand through his hair. "Just...Just forget it," he sighed, defeated. "There's no arguing with you, anyway..."

"Glad you've finally come to understand me," Nina beamed, clapping her friend's shoulder. "We should probably get going if we don't want the army leaving us behind."

"They're waiting for us in town, right?" Dwyer asked. Nina nodded and gently lead the butler along by his arm.

They walked in relative silence, until Nina stopped at the halfway point.

Dwyer raised an eyebrow curiously. "Nina?" he asked. "Is everything alright?"

"It's just...still so hard to believe," the outlaw answered. "All those faceless, I mean. It just...I never thought it would be possible."

"It's been a game changer for all of us," Dwyer agreed, moving to stand next to her. "I'm glad the town survived the attack, though."

"Me too," Nina hummed, "But still...it made me remember just what the stakes of this war are. And that's scary...we're just kids, Dwyer."

"Yeah..." The silence lasted longer than either were comfortable with, and Dwyer finally broke it with a cough. "We should probably keep going."

They began walking again, and Nina's mood seemed to perk right back up. "I heard about the crazy stuff you pulled off during the battle," she said, "they're saying you went up with Lord Corrin against the guy who was responsible for all the faceless!" She turned to him and smiled brightly. "I never knew you had it in you!"

The butler shrugged. "I had to do something," he reasoned, "I can't spend the whole war hiding behind others and letting them fight my battles for me- OW!"

Nina had flicked his forehead and leaned in close, poking his chest. "I appreciate your macho, but don't go too far into it, tough guy," she warned him. "You're still one of our best healers, and that's just as important during a fight, okay?"

"I know, I know..." Dwyer grumbled. "If I had more magic capabilities, my job would be a whole lot easier."

"What do you mean?"

"Everyone has the potential for magic," Dwyer explained, "but my father says only a few ever choose to go down that path. And even then, only a few of those will actually become competent mages." He gestured to himself. "My magic capabilities are only good for healing, I can't go any further than that."

"Hmmm..." Nina glanced up at the sky and smirked. "Maybe...maybe I could have some potential in magic," she breathed.

"Given who your mother is, I don't doubt it," Dwyer said, before giving the outlaw a small smile. "If you want, I could give you some lessons with the healing staff."

"Would you?!" Nina gasped in excitement, grabbing Dwyer's hands. "I would love that!" She pulled him into a hug and pecked his cheek. "You're the best, y'know that?"

"S-So I've been told," Dwyer answered, trying to ignore his blush. "Let's just get going, shall we?"

"Lead the way!"

'She's certainly chirpy today,' Dwyer thought, shoving his hands in his pockets.

When they finally reached the town, Dwyer saw his parents waiting for him at the entrance. Next to them were their bags, and some ways away was a wooden cart drawn by two strong looking horses. Dwyer frowned and sighed, once more running a hand through his blonde hair. 'They really are leaving,' he realized.

Nina looked between the family and tapped Dwyer's shoulder. "I'll meet you with the army," she whispered into his ear, before slipping past Jakob and Charlotte with a small wave. As Dwyer continued to approach his parents, he noticed that Jakob was holding something behind him.

"Well, it's time we said our goodbyes, son," the older butler started once his son was in front of him.

Dwyer nodded sadly. "I...I'm really gonna miss you guys." he said quietly.

His mother reached over and drew him into a crushing hug. "And we're going to miss you too," she agreed, "but I know you'll do just fine on your own. You have your friends, after all."

"Yeah..." Dwyer smiled at the thought. "I love you guys."

"We love you too," Jakob replied, patting his son's shoulder. "But before we go, there's something I wish to give you..." He took his hand out from behind him, and he presented Dwyer with...a healing staff. Though elegant in design, the staff still didn't look too special, though it wasn't one Dwyer remembered ever seeing. The handle was woven with fine leather, the shaft an ivory white. A ring sat on the end of it, with many points sticking out, connecting to a crest that shown with the many colors of the rainbow when held against the sunlight.

Other than its flashy colors, it still didn't look too special. However, Dwyer could feel the power of the staff radiating off of it, nearly blowing him away. His father nodded for him to take it, and Dwyer hesitantly reached out. He was afraid the thing might implode the moment he touched it. When he grabbed hold of the staff, he gasped. It was ice cold to the touch, yet flaming hot at the same time. Oddly enough, it was almost like the staff sensed who was wielding it, and its handle seemed to adjust itself to fit the shape of Dwyer's hand.

Creepy...

"What...what is this?" Dwyer breathed out.

"This is a very special staff," Jakob explained. "Once it was part of the Royal family's treasury, but Gunter entrusted its safety to me years ago. And now, I'm entrusting it to you." He smiled softly. "You may call that staff Bifrost."

"Bifrost..." Dwyer repeated, eyes wide.

"That staff holds tremendous power, Dwyer," Jakob warned. "You must only use it during the most dire of situations, for it can only be used once before destroying itself. I know you'll know when to use it."

"Father, I..." Dwyer was at a loss for words. He shook his head and sighed. "Thank you, I really don't know what to say."

"Do not think much about it," Jakob said as he smiled. "Perhaps you'll never have to use it. But you're now its guardian, I know I'm placing a great deal of responsibility on you but I know you'll use it well."

Dwyer nodded, eyes determined. "I won't let you down, Father," he swore.

Jakob nodded back, and the family each hugged one another one last time before Dwyer's parents picked up their bags and headed off towards the cart. Dwyer watched them as they left, and he waved goodbye to them one last time before the driver urged his horses forward. Dwyer continued to watch them until they were nothing more but a speck on the horizon. "Goodbye," he whispered, before turning his attention back to the staff in his hands.

Bifrost...a noble name for such a powerful tool. But a healing staff was only as good as the one holding it, Dwyer wondered if he would ever be able to draw out its true power. He held the staff up to the sun, its colors shining down on him brightly. "So, I'm your guardian now," he whispered to it. "Fine then, but I hope I never find the chance to use you..."

"...I'd dread to think what that situation might be."

...

 **Whew! Finally! I'm glad I managed to get another chapter out, it feels great! Like a whole weight has been lifted off of my shoulders! Sorry it's a bit on the short side, but I hope you guys enjoyed it! Don't forget to review! And remember, stay wykkyd!**


	38. Plagued by Nightmares

**Odd request, but man some fanart really sounds good right now...I don't know why I want some so much, I just...do. Thankfully I've already been notified that someone is creating a custom cover photo for this story and that it should be done by the end of the week...so there's that, at least. But seriously, I'm calling it out now, as this story progresses, feel free to give a quick sketch of your favorite ELaB moments or your favorite ships and email them to kingwykkyd . Hopefully, I get at least something! Anyway, enough advertisement, on with the story! Happy reading!**

 **...**

 _Dwyer blocked a strike from Absalom, the force behind it strong enough to send him sliding back. The butler just managed to keep his balance, stumbling a little as he did so. He looked up and saw the hellish horse charging straight at him, its rider raising his levin sword high above his head. Dwyer gave a cry and dodge-rolled to the side, taking the chance to throw his silver dagger at the dark knight's direction. Without effort, Absalom parried away the dagger, charging at the butler once more._

 _Now without a weapon, Dwyer was forced to run. He looked towards the direction his dagger had landed, and with a burst of energy, he sprinted that way, the hellish horse right on his heels._

 _"Come here, little servant!" Absalom snarled from behind him. "I'm not letting you get away this time!_

 _Dwyer rolled over his dagger, picking it up in his hand and jumping to avoid the swing of the levin sword. A sudden bolt of lightning grazed past his cheek, burning it and causing him to cry out in pain. He staggered up and prepared for the next phase of battle. Absalom stared at him through the dark slits of his mask, urging his horse to slowly circle around the boy._

 _"Did you really think you and your pathetic friends could hide from me, boy?!" he hissed. His horse snorted, black smoke shooting from its nostrils. Absalom laughed soullessly. "Boy, I will not show you what your master put me through all those months ago. I will kill all your friends, ONE by ONE, and I will force you to watch the blood drain from their paling bodies. Only then, will I kill you, but it will be a slow, drawn-out death."_

 _Dwyer gulped and readied himself, holding his dagger in a defensive position. "I-I won't let you hurt them," he growled, narrowing his eyes._

 _Absalom grinned underneath his skull mask. "I already have..." he chuckled darkly, gesturing his sword behind him._

 _Dwyer peeked by the dark knight, and his eyes widened at what he saw. "Oh, gods..." he whimpered, dropping his dagger. "No...this can't be."_

 _Rhajat was laying in a pool of blood._

 _"NO!" Dwyer cried, rushing past Absalom to the diviner's side. She was bleeding heavily from her side, and Dwyer pressed his hands against the gaping wounds in an attempt to stop the bleeding. "No, no..." he sobbed, tears cascading down his face. "Rhajat, wake up!"_

 _"Too late, boy!" Absalom taunted from behind. "And she is only the first of many! They will all die because of YOU!"_

 _"No, NOOO!" Dwyer screamed, looking around frantically. Bifrost! Where was Bifrost?! It was nowhere to be seen. Dwyer turned back to Rhajat, whose eyes were glassed over. Dwyer choked back a cry, and he weakly fell over the girl's body, holding her tightly and not giving a damn about the blood staining his clothes._

 _"Rhajat..." he whimpered. "Rhajat, Rhajat...RHAJAAAAAAT!"_

"Dwyer, wake up!"

Dwyer's eyes shot wide open, and he threw himself out of his cot and onto the ground, clutching his chest tightly as he tried to control his frantic breathing. He felt bile rising from his throat, and he covered his mouth and forced himself to swallow it back in, grimacing at the taste. A soft hand began rubbing his back, and a gentle voice whispered into his ear, "Breathe, Dwyer, breathe...it was just a bad dream. You're okay."

Dwyer glanced behind him and was surprised to that Rhajat was the one comforting him, a look of worry across her pale features. Dwyer blinked, then looked around frantically. "Bifrost!" he demanded. "Where's Bifrost?!"

Confusion flashed by Rhajat's eyes. "Bifrost? You mean your new staff?" She pointed towards his cot. "It's right next to your bed, it's been there the whole time."

Dwyer took a deep breath and rubbed the sweat from his forehead. He turned back to Rhajat and raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing in my tent?" he asked.

The dark diviner frowned. "You were screaming my name like bloody murder," she explained, "you woke up half the camp. We thought we were being invaded."

Sure enough, Dwyer could see shadows outside his tent, as well as a crowd murmuring. The butler sighed and slumped his shoulders. "Sorry..." he apologized quietly. "I...I had a very bad nightmare. It seemed so real..."

Rhajat nodded in understanding. "I've been having nightmares lately as well," she admitted, still rubbing her friend's back. "Mostly about Absalom..."

"He...he was in the nightmare..." Dwyer ran his hands through his blonde hair frantically. "Gods, he...he killed you, Rhajat...I...I thought..." Tears began leaking from his eyes, and the urge to throw up again hit him like a wave as the images of Rhajat's corpse flashed through his head.

"Shhhh...it's okay..." Rhajat whispered into his ear, drawing him into a hug. "I'm still here, I'm safe thanks to you...you have nothing to worry about."

"..." Dwyer sniffled and wordlessly wrapped his arms around the diviner's waist, pulling her tightly against him. "I thought I lost you..." he choked out. "I thought I was going to lose everyone."

"You won't," Rhajat vowed. "It was just a nightmare, and I get it. You're still suffering trauma from the battle, we _all_ are. But you'll get through this, this will all pass in time. I promise, Dwyer." She rubbed his back again and began whispering more words of comfort into his ear. Slowly, Dwyer's body began to relax, and he leaned into Rhajat more, thankful for the source of comfort.

"I'm just...worried, I guess," Dwyer admitted. "We may have beaten him, yes, but he's still out there somewhere...he's not just going to give up because of one loss, he's going to come back with a vengeance."

"I know," Rhajat nodded. "But that time, we weren't expecting it. This time will be different, we'll be ready."

"..." A sudden remembrance passed by the butler. "Do you think...Nina knows? How she's related to him?"

Rhajat shool her head. "No, and it may be for the best," she told him. "Nina...I don't think she would take the news well, there's a reason her mother never mentioned him in the first place."

Dwyer nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you're right..."

"So why were you worried about Bifrost?"

Dwyer sighed. "My father told me that the staff had a special power and that I'd use it when the time was right, because it could only be used once before destroying itself. In my dream...I tried to find it because I thought it could help you, but...I couldn't." He closed his eyes. "My father trusted me with an important Nohrian treasure, if I had lost it...I don't know what I would do."

Rhajat pulled the butler closer, now unwilling to let him go. "It must've been terrifying," she breathed out. "But, Dwyer...nothing bad will happen, I promise you. You may have lost Flora, but you still have us." She pulled away briefly and gave him a soft smile. "We're not going anywhere. We all love you, Dwyer, and we can all promise you that we won't let anything bad happen to us. Or to you."

Dwyer nodded slowly. "And I promise you the same," he told her, looking into her eyes. "I'll keep you guys safe, I won't let Absalom have his way."

"Now there's the butler we know and love," the diviner said with a smirk. She stood up and offered her hand to the butler. "Come on, let's get breakfast."

Dwyer took his friend's hand and allowed her to pull him up. The butler turned towards his cot, where his two staves laid. He took the moon festival and kept it at his side as Rhajat led him outside. It was early morning, the sky still a pale pink. The air was chilly, but not unbearable. Dwyer lightly shivered as the dark diviner led him through the gathering crowd, some of the soldiers shooting him agitated glances. Dwyer did his best to ignore them as he and Rhajat went towards the collection of firepits that made up the makeshift mess hall.

The army had been on the move for two days now, and thankfully there hadn't been a single word of Absalom. Still, Dwyer could tell that most of the army was on edge, not too keen with having another threat to deal with. On the way to one of the fires, the duo passed by Caeldori, who was having a conversation with Asugi. She briefly made eye contact with the butler, and then quickly looked away, turning her back towards him. Dwyer sighed and shook his head, wordlessly following Rhajat to the fire.

They sat down by one of the fires, with Selkie cooking some birds over the flames. On either side of her were Velouria and Midori, the young apothecary eagerly bouncing up and down. The kitsune girl flicked her ears and turned towards the newcomers, waving cheerfully.

"Morning!" she chirped.

"Morning," Rhajat and Dwyer both muttered.

Velouria looked carefully at Dwyer and wrapped her cape tighter around herself. "You gave us all quite the scare this morning," she told him, eyes filling with concern. "Was everything alright?"

Dwyer nodded. "Just a horrid nightmare," he said.

"Y'know, if sleep is the problem I have the perfect tonic for that!" Midori informed the butler, smiling at him gently.

Dwyer shook his head. "No thanks, though I appreciate the thought," he declined. "I think it was a one-time thing, shouldn't happen again."

Midori's cheeks puffed out adorably. "Poo..." she muttered. "And I just came up with it too, I need _someone_ I can test it out on!"

"Then you can test it out on me," Sophie suddenly said, yawning as she approached the group. "Avel hasn't taken kindly to sleeping out in the open like this, he's been more antsy than usual." She plopped down next to Dwyer and shook her head. "I'm up all night trying to get him to calm down!"

"Well, maybe some delicious birdies will cheer you up!" Selkie suggested as she carefully removed the birds, setting each of them onto a large plate. "Breakfast is ready! Dig in, everyone!"

Everyone thanked Selkie for the food and took huge bites from their respective meats. However, instantly everyone save Velouria spat in disgust, gagging over their plates.

"It's hardly cooked at all!" Rhajat hissed, glaring daggers at Selkie. "Is this some kind of joke?!"

Selkie tilted her head curiously. "What are you talking about, dum-dum?"

"Yeah!" Velouria agreed as she pulled her bird away from her teeth. There was clearly blood staining her mouth. "It's delicious, you guys have no taste!"

Dwyer sighed and shook his head. "Just because you two love raw meat doesn't mean everyone else is the same," he reminded them as gently as he could. He turned to the human girls and offered them his plate. "Here, put them on here and I'll cook them for you."

The girls thanked him and placed their meat onto his plate. Dwyer sighed and quickly put them back over the fire. Midori watched him as he began cooking, and she lightly tapped his shoulder. "Say, Dwyer," she said, "how about after breakfast we go collect some herbs? I need to restock and it might help you get your mind off of things."

Dwyer tapped his chin and briefly pondered the idea before shrugging. "Sure, why not?" he agreed, smiling at the young apothecary. "I'd love to, Midori."

Midori grinned sweetly. "Great!" she cheered, and then turned to Sophie. "And I'll make sure to give you that tonic tonight, Sophie. Heck, maybe I'll make some for Avel too!"

"That'd be great!" Sophie tried to smile but another yawn took over. "Thanks, Midori, you're the best."

"Aww..." the young doctor blushed and looked away.

"Food's done," Dwyer announced, removing the birds and resetting everyone's plates. "There, it should be more well done."

Sophie was the first to take a bite, and she moaned in delight. "Delicious like always!" she praised. "Dwyer, you really gotta teach me some cooking tricks sometimes, okay?"

Dwyer gulped, not wanting to imagine what Sophie may come up with in the kitchen. "Sure," he finally said with a nervous smile. "Why not?"

The group ate their meal, laughing and enjoying each other's company all the while. Dwyer was grateful for a time like this, and he was able to put his nightmare in the back of his head for the time being. Finally, the group finished their meal and parted ways, save for Dwyer and Midori. The two smiled at each other and then set off towards the small patch of woods a mile away.

They worked their way through the woods in relative silence, picking up the odd root or mushroom here and there. Finally, Midori turned towards Dwyer and nodded. "Okay, that should be enough!" she chirped, setting her medicine trunk down. "Ah~ I need a quick break."

"Me too," Dwyer agreed as he sat down next to Midori. "Thanks for taking me," he added.

Midori rolled her eyes and scoffed. "It should be _me_ thanking _you,"_ she said. "I'm not dumb, Dwyer, I know you typically don't enjoy herb-gathering. You do it just to please me."

"I-"

"And y'know what?" Midori giggled. "It's very sweet of you! It makes me so happy to know that you do this for me regardless of what you think!"

Dwyer patted Midori's shoulder. "I'll always be there whenever you need a partner to tag along." he promised.

Midori turned away and blushed, before sighing contently and leaning on Dwyer's shoulder, closing her eyes.

Dwyer raised an eyebrow. "Uh, Midori?" he began.

"Shush, you," the young apothecary cut him off. "I'm comfortable, and you still owe me for that scare you gave me during that faceless battle." She reached up and flicked the butler's nose. "Mister high-and-mighty, 'Who cares about injuries?'."

"Hehe...right, right," Dwyer nodded. "Sorry."

"Make it up to me by keeping me comfortable."

The butler rolled his eyes. "Who knew you could be so demanding?"

"My mom's a princess, y'know," Midori pointed out. "By technicality, I am too!"

Dwyer rolled his eyes a second time. "Another snarky royal, just my luck."

Midori hummed and nuzzled herself into his shoulder, breathing contently. "You're really warm, y'know that?"

Dwyer shrugged with his free shoulder. "If that's what you think..."

"It's what I _know._ Get it right."

"You're showing me a whole new side of you..." Dwyer smirked. "What happened to sweet, innocent Midori?"

The young apothecary looked up at him and winked, sticking her tongue out as she did so. "This is our little secret, okay?"

"Sounds good to me," Dwyer said, leaning back and closing his eyes. "Think we can catch a quick nap before heading back?"

"The army won't be leaving for another few hours," Midori answered. "I think we have time."

"That sounds like music to my ears." Dwyer sighed and soon enough, sleep overtook the two.

...

...

 _"Dwyer..."_

 _Dwyer's eyes slowly opened, and he looked around to see he was in an unfamiliar forest. It took him a few moments to register how he ended up here, and he looked down to see Midori still resting on his shoulder. 'Oh yeah,' he thought, 'we were napping...I hope we weren't asleep too long.' He glanced up and saw the sky through the trees, and his eyes widened._

 _Thr sky was pitch black._

 _"What in the..." Dwyer rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things. Yep, the sky was as black as coal. "But how?" the butler wondered aloud. "We couldn't have been asleep that long, could we?"_

 _He glanced back down at the girl asleep on her shoulder and gently tried shaking her awake. "Midori, wake up," he whispered. "We have to go...Midori!"_

 _Midori was motionless. Dwyer frowned as a ping of worry stabbed into his chest. "Midori..."_

 _"Dwyer."_

 _Dwyer's head shot up, and he looked around. "Who's there?" he called out into the surrounding darkness. There was no answer, and the surrounding temperature dropped harshly. It was now freezing! Dwyer shivered and his breath clouded around him. He looked down at Midori, who seemed entirely unaffected by the bitter cold. "Midori," he tried waking her up again. "We have to go, NOW!"_

 _"You're not going anywhere, boy..."_

 _Dwyer's blood froze as a familiar voice sounded from the trees behind him. He slowly turned around just in time to see a black horse with burning red eyes emerge from the darkness. It snorted, and smoke shot from its nostrils. On top of it sat a man with jagged armor, and a hideous skull mask covering his face. Dwyer watched in silent terror as the horse and its rider came closer, circling around him until they stood right in front of him and Midori._

 _"A-Absalom..." Dwyer gasped, instinctively drawing Midori closer towards him._

 _Absalom raised his hand for him to stop. "Fear not, she cannot be harmed here. Only you and I exist on this plane," he said._

 _"W-What are you talking about?" Dwyer asked suspiciously._

 _Absalom chuckled and removed his mask, allowing Dwyer to see his face once more. "Right now we exist in a realm that is not quite the astral plane and not quite the mortal world. Here is the plane where dreams exist."_

 _"I'm dreaming again?"_

 _The dark knight chuckled and shook his head. "Not quite," he said. "This is yet another one of my spells, one that allows me to visit others in their dreams." He pets his horse and cackled, eyes seeming to glow a bright gold. "Trust me, boy, I am ALL too real."_

 _Dwyer stared at the dark knight for a few moments, before gasping. "Then...Then that nightmare-!"_

 _"Was a warning," Absalom finished, eyes narrowing. "While I didn't really kill that Hoshidan wench, it was enough to give you a taste of what's to come." He unsheathed his levin sword and pointed it at the butler. "I will kill those you love, boy," he snarled, eyes shifting to Midori's still form. "Perhaps I'll start with her.."_

 _"I won't let you hurt her!" Dwyer snapped, shooting up to his feet. "I'll protect her, I'll protect all of them from you!" He grinned tauntingly. "I already beat you once, I can beat you again!"_

 _With almost blinding speed, Absalom was upon him, and Dwyer choked out a gasp as the levin sword impaled his body, sticking him into a tree. Dwyer gasped and coughed up blood, looking at Absalom with absolute terror in his eyes._

 _"I may not be able to kill you here..." the dark knight snarled, leaning in close to the butler. "But I can promise you your death will feel ten times as painful as this!" He twisted the levin sword and drove it deeper through Dwyer, causing him to scream in pain._

 _"W-Why...me?!" Dwyer hissed through his sobs. "Why are you doing this to me?! I thought it was Lord Corrin you were after!"_

 _An armored fist crashed against his jaw, dazing him. "When the master suffers, so does the servant," Absalom growled. "To be bested by the likes of YOU?! I won't stand for it! Before I destroy that traitor's army, I want to watch the life drain from your eyes!" He leaned in close and whispered, "And I don't care who I have to kill to achieve that!"_

 _Dwyer coughed and struggled to remove the levin sword to no avail. "W-What about Nina and Nyx?!" he barked at the dark knight. "They're your family! Don't you care about them?!"_

 _"I have no family." Absalom replied, his voice as cool as ice. "If either of them come between you and me, I'll strike them down as if they were anyone else."_

 _Absalom then looked up and sighed. "Time for you to wake up now, boy," he said, sounding disappointed. "A pity, I was looking forward to chatting with you some more." He yanked out the levin sword and watched Dwyer collapse onto the ground. "Believe me, boy, we will meet again here."_

Dwyer's eyes shot open, and he immediately noticed that his chest felt like fire. Gasping for air, he tore his shirt open in a panic, only to see the skin completely untouched. He sighed and leaned back, trying to process everything that had just happened. Absalom had painted a target over the butler, and by extension all of his friends. Dwyer ran a hand through his blonde hair and noticed he was crying again. 'Dammit,' he thought. 'Dammit, dammit, dammit!'

He looked down at Midori, who stirred and scrunched her face up, before returning to her original position against his shoulder. Dwyer sighed and reached out to gently stroke the girl's hair. "I'll protect you," he whispered to her. "I won't let anything happen to any of you...I swear by the gods themselves."

...

 **Things are getting pretty serious, aren't they? Poor Dwyer...the guy really can't catch a break. Though, that's probably my fault lol**

 **Anyway! I hope you guys enjoyed it! Be sure to reeeeally consider that fanart thing, I don't care if you're a shit artist or not, just let it all out! Don't forget to review (seriously guys pls review ;~;)! And remember, stay wykkyd!**


	39. From Bad to Worse

**I hate this town, well...to be more specific, I hate the snow. It always slows down the internet and makes it nearly impossible to write. Seriously, fuck snow and fuck those that like it, I'm an online writer and I demand JUSTICE!**

 **Anyway...In case you haven't noticed, this story now has a new cover photo! This nifty little fanart was drawn up by the_punsexual_pansexual over on Instagram, so go check him out!**

 **So without further ado, go ahead and enjoy the story!**

 **...**

"You seem much more tired lately," Velouria commented as she walked beside Dwyer. She tilted her head in concern. "Are you sure you're okay? You don't need me to carry you or anything?"

Dwyer yawned and shook his head. "I'm fine," he assured the wolfskin. "Just...haven't been getting much sleep, that's all."

"Why?"

Dwyer didn't answer, instead opting to shove his hands into his pockets. He didn't want to worry Velouria, the girl already had enough on her mind without his problems being thrown in. Absalom had been plaguing the poor butler for days now, taunting him with visions of death and despair. Every night was the same, Dwyer would wake up in a cold sweat, occasionally screaming. Lord Corrin was quick to notice the downward spiral the butler was going through, so he had secretly assigned Velouria to keep a close eye on him. Velouria was more than happy to oblige, though she wasn't having much luck.

The army was marching towards a small town that they could visit to restock. It was about another day away, and Dwyer couldn't wait to pay the inn a visit, he really missed the feeling of a real bed. However, he was also dreading what the night would end up bringing, and he silently prayed to the gods that Absalom would leave him alone, fully aware how unlikely that would be.

Velouria huffed in annoyance. "Well if you're not going to talk, at least let me carry you," she offered sternly.

"It's just a lack of sleep, it's fine."

"Obviously it's more than that!" the wolfskin hissed, lightly slapping her friend's arm. "You look like you're about to collapse at any moment!"

Dwyer raised an eyebrow. "Don't I always look like that, though?" he asked.

Velouria shook her head. "Unbelievable," she groaned. She then clutched her beaststone and transformed into her large, furry second form. Without a word, the wolfskin picked up Dwyer and placed him on her back. Dwyer instinctively clung to the fur but frowned.

"You didn't have to do that," he said.

 _"I don't wanna hear it, Dwyer,"_ Velouria growled. _"Lord Corrin's worried about you, so he asked me to take care of you until you're back on your feet. Now, unless you're going to tell me exactly what's going on, then shut up and hang on."_

Dwyer flinched and sighed, lightly running his finger's through his friend's fur. "Sorry," he apologized. "It's just...not easy to explain. I'm not even entirely sure what's going on."

 _"I understand,"_ Velouria said, nodding. _"I won't push it, but just know that I'm here for you, okay?"_

"Okay..." Dwyer agreed, laying his head down on the wolfskin's back.

 _"We'll be marching for a while,"_ Velouria told him. _"You should try taking a nap, I won't mind."_

Dwyer yawned and nodded, though a pit formed in his stomach as the thought of Absalom appearing took over. Dwyer closed his eyes and buried his face into Velouria's back, and fairly soon sleep took over the butler.

...

Velouria heard Dwyer lightly snoring into her fur, and she nodded in satisfaction.

'Oh, Dwyer...' she thought. 'You need to take better care of yourself.'

It wasn't just her or Lord Corrin that had noticed the issue, most of the army was beginning to show concern for Jakob's son. The dark circles surrounding the butler's eyes were much more prominent than usual, and his shoulders have unnaturally sagged from his exhaustion. His hair was more unkempt, to be frank...he looked like hell.

It worried Velouria, so much so that she wouldn't be surprised if her streak of brown hair was entirely gray. She loved Dwyer, she only wanted to see him get better. When he woke up screaming...it scared her. So much so that tears would form and she would hug herself until someone managed to calm him down.

It must've been the trauma, she thought. Dwyer was on the front lines during the battle, a role he wasn't used to handling. From what she heard, he went toe to toe with the mastermind of the attack...it must've been terrifying.

On the lighter note, she was happy that their relationship hadn't changed or grown awkward. Dwyer now knew that she had feelings for him, he knew about what happened when he touched her ears...yet nothing changed. He still treated her the same, as a good friend, and she was grateful for that. As much as her heart yearned for more, she didn't want to push anything on him. It wouldn't be fair, he deserved only the best.

'Only the best...' she thought. 'Could I be that for him?'

Despite being in her wolf form, she felt her cheeks heat up. Her ears twitched as she recalled the memory of the butler petting them, and she felt something swell inside her chest. 'I love you, Dwyer...' she silently told the sleeping man on her back. 'I hope someday...we could try it out.'

"Is...is he okay?"

Velouria jumped and glanced towards her left, surprised to see Caeldori walking alongside her, the girl's eyes trained on Dwyer's sleeping form. The wolfskin felt a growl rise from her throat, but she forced herself to calm down. _"He's fine,"_ she answered curtly. _"He just needs some rest, that's all."_

"But when he sleeps...isn't that when things go wrong?" Caeldori asked.

Velouria narrowed her eyes and stared forward, not wanting to look at the Hoshidan. _"He still needs rest,"_ she countered. _As an afterthought, she added, "Why do you care anyway?"_

Caeldori flinched but glared at the hulking beast next to her. "I'm not allowed to be worried?" she hissed.

Velouria stopped marching and whirled around, her beastly face inches from Caeldori's own. The crimson beauty recoiled in slight fear, and Velouria huffed in her face. _"Lord Corrin assigned ME to take care of him, not you!"_ she snarled. _"He already has enough to worry about without the added stress of you, so just back off!"_

Caeldori stared at Velouria in shock, before her face contorted into one of disdain. "You're not his babysitter!" she shot back, jabbing a finger into the beast's cheek. "There's no need to be so rude!"

 _"I'm not the one who couldn't even keep a relationship with him!"_

Caeldori's eyes flared. "You...you bitch!"

Velouria roared. _"And what are you gonna do about it, huh?!"_

Suddenly, before the two could pounce on each other, two figures broke through between them. "Whoa, whoa!" Asugi cried out, holding onto Caeldori's shoulders. "Easy there, you two!"

"Yeah!" Soleil agreed, eyes narrowing. "We heard the entire thing, you two need to take things down a couple of notches!"

Caeldori pointed at Velouria accusingly. "She's accusing me of not caring about Dwyer!" she argued.

 _"What I AM saying is that you just need to mind your own business!"_ Velouria growled.

"Okay, you two..." Soleil sighed, rubbing her temples. "You two need to stop before you wake up Dwyer." She nodded at the sleeping butler, who groaned in his sleep and clung tighter to Velouria's fur.

The Hoshidan and the wolfskin flushed and glanced away, feeling shame for their actions. _"S-Sorry..."_ Velouria apologized to Caeldori, though a bit reluctantly.

"Y-Yeah...me too..." Caeldori coughed and looked away from the wolfskin.

"We all care about Naps, let's just accept that," Asugi pointed out, sighing and resting his hands behind his head. He turned to Velouria and frowned. "You shouldn't get mad at someone for caring about him, y'know." He then turned to Caeldori. "And really? It might be best for you to avoid Dwyer, for the time being."

"You're right..." Caeldori murmured, holding her hands together. "It's just...I feel so bad, that's all."

Asugi's gaze softened, and he gently placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "It wasn't your fault," he told her softly. "You gotta let that stuff go."

Soleil overheard and nodded. "I don't hold anything against you," she assured the Hoshidan, before chuckling and looking back at Dwyer. "Now _this_ idiot, on the other hand-"

She was cut off by Dwyer's sudden scream.

...

 _When he opened his eyes, Dwyer immediately noticed the dark sky above him, and the feeling of dread returned to his stomach. Instinctively he clung tighter to Velouria's fur, only to notice that it was wet and damp with some kind of liquid. The stench of blood invaded his nostrils, and in his shock Dwyer let go of Velouria, landing roughly on the ground. He hissed in pain and looked up at the wolfskin, who was still lumbering away, not seeming to notice her missing passenger. "Velouria-" Dwyer called out, but he caught himself off when he noticed the fog beginning to surround the two._

 _Gulping, Dwyer rose to his feet and began to follow Velouria, who silently kept moving forward. "Velouria..." Dwyer murmured, frowning. He stopped moving and watched as the fog began to envelop Velouria, the wolfskin eventually disappearing from view. Dwyer looked around, raising his arms in something of a challenge. "Well, here I am, Absalom!" he yelled into the fog. "Aren't you going to come out?!"_

 _There was no answer, not even a damn sound. It was eerily silent, and Dwyer's hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Suddenly, the fog began to lift, only for a brief moment, to reveal a path through the trees. Sensing that he had little choice in the matter, Dwyer took a deep breath and started walking down the path, the fog closing in all around him._

 _The chilling air cut through his thin clothing, leaving the butler shivering. He gulped and took another step forward, only for his foot to sink in a large puddle of mud. Dwyer yelped in surprise and quickly yanked his foot out, groaning. "Now he's just being a jerk..." he muttered, shaking his head._

 _"Dwyer~"_

 _The butler stopped, listening intently._

 _"Dwyer~"_

 _"Velouria?"_

 _It was definitely Velouria, but she sounded...distant. Taking a deep breath, Dwyer headed off in the direction he heard his friend calling him. "I'm coming, Velouria..." he whispered. "Just hold on."_

 _"Dwyer~"_

 _Was that coming from...left? Left! Dwyer turned left and quickened his pace, his heart thumping inside his chest as he hurried along._

 _He eventually came to a clearing and sitting right there in the middle was... "Velouria!" Dwyer cried out, rushing to his friend's side. "Velouria, are you alright?"_

 _"Dwyer..." Velouria murmured, her voice eerily flat. "Can you...pet my ears?"_

 _"What?" Dwyer raised an eyebrow, and took a step back, but Velouria's hand shot out and gripped his wrist, moving his hand towards her ears. Dwyer slowly complied, scratching behind them softly. Velouria let out a small moan of enjoyment, that made the butler blush furiously. "Velouria..." he said. "When...When I pet your ears-"_

 _Velouria slowly turned around, and Dwyer's words caught in his throat._

 _Her eyes were missing, blood was staining her whole face._

 _"Dwyer..." she hissed, her voice changed. "Please...kiss me."_

 _"WHAT?!" Dwyer rose to his feet, he had to get out of here! He began to sprint away, but something tackled him. He felt a pair of cracked lips press against his, and Dwyer felt bile rise in his throat. The lips tasted like death itself!_

 _Velouria pulled away, and Dwyer's eyes widened as the girl began to crumble into dust. "Velouria!" He cried out. "Velouria, no!"_

 _He looked up, and gasped when he saw Absalom on his horse, peering down at him. "They love you, and they'll die for you," was all he said before disappearing._

 _And then Dwyer screamed._

His eyes shot open as he let go of Velouria's fur, plummeting to the ground as he continued to scream. His friends cried out in surprise, but he ignored them and rose to his feet, glaring wildly at the woods. "Where are you, you bastard?!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Dwyer!" one of his friends gasped, but Dwyer ignored them again.

"Where are you?!" he yelled again. "Where the hell are-"

 _SMACK!_

Dwyer fell to the ground, and immediately a pair of arms wrapped around him, holding him close. Dwyer recognized the blue hair, and he slowly began to calm down as the pain of his cheek faded. "S-Soleil...?"

"Shhhh..." Soleil whispered into his ear, petting his hair softly. "It's okay...you're okay...shhh..."

But Dwyer wasn't paying attention, instead, he was now analyzing the dream he had just had. 'There's no way he could've known I was asleep. There's no way he could know where I am...'

How could Absalom know all these things...?

Unless...!

Dwyer felt the dread return with a vengeance.

...

He knew. The boy knew, but there was nothing he could do about it.

Absalom chuckled as he watched Dwyer from the trees, his hand on the hilt of his levin sword. The servant's eyes trailed towards the direction of the dark knight, but Absalom knew he could not be seen. He had cast a spell of illusion to hide him from the army, he had been following them in secret for days now, constantly plaguing Dwyer with nightmare after nightmare.

Absalom urged his horse to move away from the scene, and the steed silently obeyed. For now, Absalom decided he would let the boy go awhile without the nightmares. Besides, it was time for phase two of the plan...

The dark knight had to resist the urge to laugh out loud. Soon...Soon that damn servant and his master would be begging for death, and Absalom would be all too happy to give it to them!

...

Thankfully for Dwyer, that nightmare was the last one he had.

The army had decided to stay at the town for a couple more days, leaving him with plenty of time to himself. The butler laid down on his bed inside the inn, staring up at the ceiling blankly. The nightmares had stopped, but Dwyer knew they could come back at any moment. It wasn't hard to figure out how Absalom was taunting him, but when he had reported to Lord Corrin that the dark knight was following them, the search turned out to be fruitless. Absalom must've gotten away.

It was frustrating, to say the least, but Dwyer knew there was nothing he could do about it. Frustrating...yet terrifying. A dangerous enemy was hiding among their ranks the entire time, and just before he could get caught he disappeared like he was never there to begin with.

Dwyer shuddered as he realized just how close they had all been from death.

From the corner of the room, Velouria hummed quietly as she picked through an assortment of her treasures. Dwyer sighed. Ever since his latest nightmare, the wolfskin had absolutely refused to leave Dwyer alone, even during the night. It was kind of embarrassing, to tell the truth, having the pretty half-wolf sleeping in the same room as him.

Still, at least Soleil wasn't as bad. The mercenary was sitting at the foot of Dwyer's bed, reading a book quietly. Like Velouria, the girl insisted on staying by Dwyer's side, but unlike Velouria, that didn't mean having a sleepover, thank the gods...

Dwyer stood up and stretched, looking at the girls cautiously. "I'm gonna go for a walk," he said, before adding, "alone, if you'd please."

The girls seemed hesitant but eventually nodded, and Dwyer let out a sigh of relief as he left the room. The butler shoved his hands in his pockets as he walked out of the inn, blinking as the sun hit his eyes. Shaking his head, he turned towards one direction and began walking some more, enjoying the slight breeze.

Honestly, he loved his friends, but it felt great to get away from them every once in awhile. He smiled to himself.

The butler didn't know what compelled him to do so, but he turned and started heading down an alleyway. A stray cat noticed him and darted away, though Dwyer ignored it. He began weaving through the town's many alleys until he finally came to what appeared to be a small park of sorts. There stood a tall, luscious tree, with broad, dark green leaves blanketing over its many branches. Underneath the tree was a single stone bench, and sitting on the bench was...

"Kana?" he called out as he approached the young princess, raising an eyebrow.

The girl was staring down at her lap, her hands clasped together and she was chewing her lip. She looked up in surprise, her face tinted pink. "Dwyer!" she cried out, hopping off the bench. She rubbed her arm awkwardly. "I, uh...I was just..."

"You looked troubled," the butler noted, ruffling his young friend's hair. "What's the matter?"

"..." Kana's face turned a deeper shade of red, and she looked away in embarrassment. "Do you...have a crush on someone?"

Well, that was a strange question. Dwyer tapped his chin in thought then shrugged. "Not currently," he answered. "Why ask?"

"B-Because..." Kana took a deep breath. "I need help! W-With a c-crush!"

Kana...having a crush? Dwyer didn't think it was possible, but he supposed that the princess was reaching that age where she would naturally begin to notice boys some more. However, he didn't see what this had to do with him. "Well..." he hesitantly started. "I'm...not sure how much help I can give. This is rather out of my expertise."

"B-But you're a butler!" Kana argued, cutely glaring at her older friend. "More specifically, you're _my_ butler, so you gotta help me!"

"Technically I'm your Father's-"

"DWYERRRR!"

"Okay, okay!" Dwyer shouted, rubbing his temples. "I...I guess I can help."

Kana beamed and threw her arms around the butler. "You're the best, Dwyer!"

"Yeah, yeah..." Dwyer sighed and started to pry the girl off of him. "Anyway...I guess I have to ask, who is the guy?"

"It's..." Kana looked away shyly as she let go of Dwyer. "...Percy..."

"Percy?" Dwyer let that sink in for a moment, before shrugging. "Well okay."

"Huh?" Kana tilted her head. "That's it?"

"Well, how else am I going to react?" Dwyer asked. "What, am I suppose to yell and protest?"

"W-Well, yeah!" Kana said. "That's how it goes in all the stories!"

'What kind of stories is she reading?' Dwyer wondered, before shaking his head. "So you're crushing on Percy, what do you want me to do?"

"I need you...to play matchmaker," Kana admitted.

Dwyer blinked. "No."

"N-No?!" Kana sputtered.

Dwyer sighed and crossed his arms. "I've never done matchmaking in my life!" he pointed out.

"B-But Papa did it all the time! And if he could do it, you could do it!"

"I don't see the connection at all." Dwyer deadpanned, before sighing again. "Listen, Kana, I-"

"We'd be more than happy to help!"

Dwyer cried out in surprise as two hands gripped his shoulders, and a voice he recognized as Ophelia's made itself known. Dwyer whirled around, glaring at the dark mage. "What do you mean, 'we'?" he hissed.

"We're chosen ones, Dwyer!" Ophelia exclaimed, gesturing between the two of them. "It's our sworn duty to help those in need!" She smiled gently at Kana and tapped the girl's nose. "Don't worry, Kana, just leave everything to us!"

She then quickly grabbed Dwyer's arm and hurried off with him, the butler struggling to break free all the while. Finally, they stopped in one of the alleys, and Dwyer finally yanked his arm free of Ophelia's grip. "Are you crazy?" he groaned. "We can't just play matchmaker, Ophelia!"

Ophelia smirked and folded her arms across her bust. "Did you know my grandfather had quite the eye for romance?" she asked. "Father says he commanded a whole army, and he was always great at making people fall in love!" She chuckled and looked quite proud of herself. "Which means that naturally, I must have the same gift!"

"I still don't see what this has to do with me," Dwyer argued.

"Silly Dwyer," Ophelia lightly scolded, flicking her friend's forehead. "You're Kana's butler, of course!"

"Technically I'm Lord Corrin's-"

"It must be the two of us!" Ophelia cried out excitedly, gripping the butler's shoulders. "It's fate, Dwyer, don't you understand?! We must do it, we _must!"_

Dwyer opened his mouth to protest, but quickly shut it. Of course...there was no winning against Ophelia once she had her mind set on something. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he reluctantly nodded. "Of course..." he groaned. "Silly me, how could I forget?"

"I'm glad we've reached an agreement!"

Dwyer had a feeling he would regret this.

...

 **Aaaand done! Hope you guys enjoyed it! Don't forget to review! And remember, stay wykkyd!**


	40. Nah finally catches a break!

**Chapter forty! I'm not sure whether or not I should consider this a milestone, but it does mean that the end of the story is approaching a lot faster than I realized. It really has been a wild ride, hasn't it? We've had humor, fluff, angst, romance, action, adventure, just a whole damn number of things! I'm glad you guys have stuck with me this far, the story wouldn't be possible without your continued support!**

 **Sorry this chapter took awhile to come out. I've been emotionally exhausted for days now, too much drama and too much on my plate all at once. But hey! I knew I had to get this out sometime! So why not today? (That, and was acting really weird. For some reason, the captcha code doesn't show up sometimes when I try to log in, so I CAN'T log in because there's no damn captcha code!**

 **Though I should warn you that another reason why updates may be slow is because my school is performing the musical, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and I was cast as Quasimodo. It's pretty stressful, even more so since a girl who REALLY doesn't like me is Esmeralda...fun times, it is.**

 **Anyway, enough of that...Enjoy the chapter!**

 **...**

"Hmmm...let's see," Ophelia muttered, tapping a pencil against her chin as she held a notebook in her hand. "What do Percy and Kana have in common?"

"They're both small?" Dwyer suggested, shrugging lazily.

Ophelia glared at the butler and flicked her pencil at him, sighing in frustration. "Dwyer, you have to take this seriously!" she whined.

"Sorry, sorry," Dwyer apologized, rolling his eyes. "It's just...matchmaking really isn't my thing, I don't see why I have to be here."

"Because you promised Kana you'd help her!"

"No, _you_ promised to help her and you dragged me along for the ride," he argued, crossing his arms.

"We're her friends, Dwyer!" Ophelia exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. "Friends help each other out!" She leaned in and poked his cheek. "What happened to that preppy Dwyer who was always there to help out someone he cared about?"

"That 'preppy' Dwyer has no interest in romance," he grumbled, pushing her hand away. "Why couldn't you get one of the girls to help? Selkie or Sophie would love to be a part of this, I think."

Ophelia shook her head. "As kind as those two are, I'm not sure how much I trust their...instincts."

"And yet you trust me?"

"Oh, will you just take this seriously, Dwyer?" the dark mage hissed. "As chosen ones, it's our sworn duty to help those in need! Did you know my father was once part of the 'Justice Cabal'?"

"What's a 'Justice Cabal'?" Dwyer asked against his better judgment.

Ophelia smiled proudly and clasped her hands together, gazing up at the clear blue sky in wonder. "According to legend, the Justice Cabal was an elite group of heroes untouched by the unfathomable hands of time. Like gods descending the heavens, they rushed into battle with the ferocity of starved tigers! Without any trace of fear, they struck down evil wherever it may have hidden. No evildoer was a match for their awesome might! They protected the people, they were a golden shield that would never break! They were..." She leaped to her feet and threw her arms up wildly. "The Justice Cabal!"

Dwyer stared at the eccentric girl blankly, before sighing and shaking his head. "Sounds great," he deadpanned. "Percy and Kana both like dragons, by the way."

"O-Oh..." Ophelia blushed as she remembered the task at hand. "Y-Yes...um, I guess I got a little carried away for a second."

'That's putting it mildly,' Dwyer thought, rolling his eyes.

Suddenly, Ophelia gasped. "Wait, that's it!"

The butler raised an eyebrow. "...what's it?" he wondered.

"I know how we can get them together!" Ophelia cheered, grabbing Dwyer's hands and holding them against her chest. "We can appeal to their idealistic views of justice! Imagine them, fighting evil together! They're bound to fall in love in a situation like that!"

"...I'm not sure that's how love works-"

"That's how all our parents fell in love, wasn't it?!"

Dwyer sighed in defeat. "I guess you have a point there..." He frowned. "Ophelia, where are you going with this?"

"Isn't it obvious, Dwyer?" Ophelia was leaning in close, her hot breath brushing against Dwyer's face. "We form a new Justice Cabal!"

...

...

The butler stared at the mage for a few moments. "No."

Ophelia choked on nothing and fell back. "N-No?" she repeated, uncertain.

Dwyer nodded. "That's right. No."

"B-B-But why?!"

"We're here to hook up two kids," Dwyer reminded her, "not form some kind of league of heroes."

"But that's HOW we hook them up!" Ophelia exclaimed, scrambling to her feet. She took Dwyer's shoulders and began shaking him. "Dwyer, this is a PERFECT idea! But we can't do it without you!"

Dwyer tried to escape Ophelia's grip, but no such luck. "W-Will you please stop shaking me?!" he shouted.

Ophelia let him go but immediately took his hands again. "Please, Dwyer...if not for them..." She gave him her best puppy-dog expression she could muster. "Then for me?"

Dwyer tried looking away, his composure quickly beginning to break. He bit his lip, took a quick glance at Ophelia, then sighed in defeat. "Fine..." he complied. "I'll form the Justice Cabal with you..."

"Y-You will?" Ophelia breathed, not sure she heard him correctly.

"Well, it's not like I really have a choice in the matter..."

"Oh, Dwyer!" Ophelia threw her arms around the butler, hugging him tightly. "You're the best guy ever, you know that?!"

"C-Can't breathe!" the butler choked out, eyes bulging.

Ophelia let go of the butler, grinning brightly. "First thing's first!" she announced, raising her fist in excitement. "We need to recruit members! Only those who truly stand for justice will be permitted membership for the Justice Cabal! I'll go get Kana, you can go find Percy!"

"Of course, give me the hard one..." Dwyer murmured. No doubt Percy was off to gods know where riding his wyvern high above the rest of them.

Ophelia winked at him playfully. "As a chosen one, I know you're capable of it, Dwyer."

Dwyer sighed and shrugged. "Sure...why not?" At this point, he knew arguing with Ophelia was pointless, the girl's unlimited energy would always be ready to crush any argument he could hope to have.

"Alright, then let's do this!" Ophelia took a deep breath and struck a pose. "Justice Cabal, AWAY!"

...

This was a mistake.

This was a terrible mistake.

Dwyer never should've agreed to Ophelia's stupid Justice Cabal.

He panted and wheezed as he climbed yet _another_ hill, trying to catch up with Percy, who was racing off into the distance on his wyvern, having not noticed the butler trying his damn hardest to follow him. Dwyer collapsed to his hands and knees, groaning as he watched Percy disappear into the horizon, completely leaving the butler behind. Dwyer laid down on the soft grassy hill, staring up at the blue sky in defeat.

'I can always wait for him to come back, right?' he thought. 'He'll have to head back into town sooner or later.'

In the meantime...maybe he could take a nap? This wasn't a bad spot, after all. Sure, he would prefer something like a tree looming over him, but the soft grass was just too inviting to pass up... Yep, he was napping here. Sighing, Dwyer rested his hands on his stomach and closed his eyes, slowing down his breathing. Oh yeah...he needed this.

He didn't know how long he was asleep, but he knew he was woken up by something poking his cheek. Dwyer frowned and at first tried to ignore it, but whoever was poking him sure was persistent. Sighing, he opened his eyes, staring at the familiar elf-eared girl staring down at him curiously. "Hey, Nah," he tiredly greeted. "If you could stop poking me, that'd be great."

Nah pulled her hand away, then laid down next to the butler. "'Bout time you woke up." she grumbled. "I was poking you for at least ten minutes."

Dwyer blinked. "That's...odd," he said.

Nah shrugged. "I'm an odd girl," she replied simply.

"Well to be fair, I don't think I've ever known a girl who _wasn't_ odd."

Nah giggled softly, and Dwyer smiled a little in return. "So what are you doing here?" he asked. "I haven't seen you in awhile."

The little manakete tapped her chin in thought, before shrugging again. "I've just been going from town to town," she said. "I still haven't had much luck in finding my friends, but I'm still keeping my head high!"

Dwyer thought about it for a few moments, before sitting up and facing Nah. "Haven't you been searching for them for a thousand years or something like that?" he asked. "Are you sure they're not...dead?"

Nah was silent for a few moments, before turning to Dwyer with a serious look in her eyes. "Would you believe me if I said my friends and I came from an entirely different world?"

Dwyer blinked. "Normally no," he admitted. "But then again...I've never heard of anyone living over a thousand years."

Nah smiled softly. "They're out there, trust me," she said confidently. "I'll search to the end of time for them, Dwyer."

"Well I have to admire your drive," Dwyer complimented, shrugging. "I'd probably give up not long into the search."

Nah hummed, then turned to Dwyer, tilting her head curiously. "So what are you doing out here?" she asked him. "I didn't expect to find you out here."

"Did you happen to see a boy riding a wyvern fly past you?" Dwyer wondered.

The manakete thought about it for a few moments, before nodding. "Now that you mention it, yes," she answered. "Do you know him?"

Dwyer sighed. "His name's Percy," he told her, "he's a member of our army. I've been trying to catch up to him so I can talk to him about something, but no luck..."

"Hmm...you know..." Nah smirked proudly. "I can turn into a dragon!"

Dwyer stared at the thousand-year-old girl blankly. "What?"

"I can turn into a dragon!"

Dwyer shook his head. "That's impossible!" he hissed. "Only Lord Corrin and his daughter can transform into dragons!"

Nah's eyes widened. "Wait, there are others here?!" she gasped.

"...what others?" Dwyer wondered.

"Manaketes, you dolt!"

Dwyer blinked. "What the heck are manaketes?"

"Dragons who can take human form," Nah explained, placing a hand on her chest. "I'm a manakete. Well...half manakete, that is."

Dwyer looked the girl up and down, his eyes settling on her pointy ears. "That...actually explains a lot."

Nah noticed where he was staring, and blushed lightly and looked away. "Don't stare at my ears, please..." she murmured.

Dwyer stammered and nodded, flushing with embarrassment. "Er, sure..."

"A-Anyway...yes, I can turn into a dragon," Nah continued, holding her head up high. "Maybe if you asked nicely, I can give you a lift so you can talk to this Percy."

"I wouldn't want to be a bother..." Dwyer began hesitantly.

"Oh, Dwyer!" Nah exclaimed, covering her cheeks with her hands and looking away. "You're such a considerate gentleman!"

"..." Dwyer stared at the manakete. "Huh?"

"So what is it you want to talk to Percy about?" she suddenly asked, leaning in and staring at the butler intently. "It must be important if you were willing to chase down a wyvern!"

"Not exactly my choice..." Dwyer muttered, crossing his arms. 'Ophelia owes me big time for this,' he thought, sighing. "My friend wants to form this thing called the 'Justice Cabal'," he explained. "She wanted me to recruit Percy for it."

"..." Nah wasn't looking at him, her wide eyes were fixed on the ground. She was playing with one of her braided pigtails anxiously.

"Nah...?" Dwyer called her name slowly, reaching out to place his hand on her shoulder. The girl drew in a sharp breath and slowly turned to look into Dwyer's eyes.

"Where did she hear that name?" she whispered, barely loud enough for the butler to hear.

"Uh...her father, I think," he answered, before nodding. "Yes, her father," he repeated. "She said that he used to be part of the first Justice Cabal- GAH!"

He was tackled to the ground by Nah, who was now straddling him and gripping his shoulders so tightly Dwyer felt paralyzed. "Uh...Nah?" he gasped, blushing furiously.

"What's her father's name?!" she barked, tightening her grip.

The butler winced. "O-Odin!" he let out. "His name is Odin Dark!"

"Odin..." Nah repeated, before shaking her head. "Dammit, it's not him! But...I've heard that name before..."

"Nah...what is this about?" Dwyer asked.

Nah was silent again for a few moments before she sighed. "One of my friends that I'm looking for...he was part of the Justice Cabal, a long, long time ago...back in our own world. His name was Owain..." She giggled softly. "Gods, he was such a dork...he wanted to be a legendary hero more than anything...He was strange, but it's what made him so likable. He would always shout out these weird catchphrases, stuff like 'Radiant Dawn' and 'Holy Sun Strike of Eternal Bloodlust'...silly stuff like that." She sighed wistfully. "He would always talk about his 'twitching swordhand' and things like that...I...I miss him so much...I miss all of them."

"That...sounds just like Odin," Dwyer realized, eyes narrowing. "Nah, what about your other friends? What were they like?"

"Oh, them?" Nah glanced up at the sky. "Severa's kinda grouchy, but she means well. She has bright red hair that reeeeally matches her personality. She has this constant scowl on her face, so you can recognize her a mile away. Inigo...he's a huge flirt, no way around it. And though he's embarrassed by it, he's actually a REALLY great dancer!"

'Oh, you have to be kidding me,' Dwyer thought, facepalming. "Er...Nah?"

"Hmm?"

"I think...I might know where your friends are." Dwyer said.

Nah turned to him, her mouth agape. "Y-You do?" she gasped, before grabbing his shoulders once again. "Where are they? Where are they?" she asked over and over, shaking him furiously.

"Gah!" Dwyer yanked himself away from Nah and shook his head, panting. "Yeesh, warn a guy, will you?" he grumbled. "Look, it may not be them, but they match your friends' descriptions perfectly."

"Well, I have to find out!" Nah exclaimed, jumping to her feet. "Take me to them, now!"

"But..." Dwyer pointed over his shoulder. "But Percy-"

"Forget about Percy, Percy doesn't matter!" Nah growled, hoisting Dwyer to his feet. "Dwyer, I've been searching for them for a thousand years! _A thousand!_ Do you _know_ how long a thousand years is?!"

"...a really long time?" the butler guessed.

"A really, _really_ long time!" Nah answered, eyes wide. "I've been going CRAZY searching for them, Dwyer! Did you know I ate a squirrel once? A damn _squirrel!_ They're like the cutest creatures on earth and I _ate_ one of them!" Her eyes narrowed. "And you can bet your butt that I ate it raw."

"I...really didn't need to hear that," Dwyer deadpanned. "Also, I beg to differ. Turtles are the cutest creatures on earth."

"You have a very poor taste in woodland creatures," Nah sighed, shaking her head. "Whatever, just hurry up and take me to them!"

"But I don't wanna walk..."

"FINE!" Nah barked, crossing her arms. "Tell me where they are and I'll carry you on my dragon form."

Dwyer pointed towards the distance. "They're in the next town over, just beyond those hills," he told her.

Nah nodded and pulled out an odd looking stone. She caught Dwyer staring at it, she puffed out her chest, presenting it to him. "This is a dragonstone," she explained, "it's what allows me to transform into a dragon."

"Oh, yeah...those." Dwyer thought about Kana, and he nodded. "Alright then."

"Step back, Dwyer!" Nah ordered. "This may or may not explode!"

"Wait, what?!"

A large glow surrounded Nah, and a huge wind began to pick up, nearly throwing the poor butler off of his feet. He managed to stay planted, and he shielded his eyes from the blinding light. A few moments passed and the light faded. Dwyer glanced up, and his jaw dropped. He may have witnessed Kana and Lord Corrin transform into dragons, but they never transformed into something quite like Nah! Her large body shimmered with pink scales that shined like diamonds underneath the sunlight. She was beautiful if Dwyer were to be honest with himself.

The dragon's narrow face turned to Dwyer. _"Get on,"_ it ordered.

Dwyer nodded and scrambled on top of the dragon, and with a mighty roar, Nah took to the sky, soaring over towards the town. They were there within the minute, and the townspeople gasped and cried out as a gods damn _DRAGON_ landed in their town square. Dwyer hopped off of Nah and said, "Stay there." before hurrying back to the inn he was staying in. He ran inside and up to his room, bursting through the door, much to Soleil and Velouria's surprise.

"Dwyer?" Soleil asked. "Are you alright? What's the rush?"

"Where's your father?!" Dwyer gasped, grabbing the flirt's shoulders.

Soleil blushed and stared at the butler curiously. "Um...why?"

"Because there's a real life, thousand-year-old dragon looking for him!"

"That's a joke, right?" Velouria asked.

"Soleil!" Dwyer begged.

"Alright!" Soleil cried. "He's at the Hoshidan Restaurant with Mom!"

"Thank you!" Dwyer said before exiting the room. Soleil and Velouria shared a glance as he left.

"Should we...go after him?" Velouria suggested, still confused with the whole situation.

Soleil shrugged. "Eh, might as well," she answered. "Beats being cooped up in here all day."

Dwyer stopped in front of Nah, who was now back in her human form. "Nah, follow me," he urged, heading towards the restaurant Soleil had told him about. Nah nodded and eagerly followed him, while Soleil and Velouria watched from a corner.

"Jeez..." Soleil grumbled, shaking her head. "Unbelievable...how many more girls does this damn harem need?"

"A-A what?" Velouria squeaked, blushing furiously.

Soleil chuckled and shook her head again. "Nothing, nothing," she assured the wolfskin. "Let's go, we gotta catch up with them."

"Here we are," Dwyer announced as they stopped in front of the restaurant. "He should be in here, I think."

Nah smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Dwyer," she breathed, taking a deep breath. "You know, it's funny. I've been searching for them for so long, but I never thought about what I'd do when I'd actually find them."

"Maybe..." Dwyer hummed and shrugged. "Maybe you could join us and stick around for awhile. I promise you...it's never boring here."

"Maybe..." Nah took another deep breath. "Okay...I'm gonna go inside." She turned to Dwyer, biting her lip. "Can you...come with me? I'm nervous."

Dwyer smiled gently and nodded. "Of course, Nah," he said, and the two stepped inside.

The restaurant wasn't crowded, and immediately Dwyer spotted Soleil's parents sitting at a booth. They were laughing and eating some kind of meat that Dwyer didn't recognize. He tapped Nah's shoulder and pointed at the couple. "That's them." he said.

Nah gasped, and covered her hands with her mouth. "That's Inigo..." she breathed, eyes wide. "Oh my gods...he finally got a date!"

"That's uh...that's his wife." Dwyer awkwardly clarified.

"WHAT?!" Nah shrieked, catching the entire restaurant's attention. Laslow turned around, and his mouth fell open, spilling the food that was inside it onto the floor.

"N-Nah...?" he croaked.

"Hello, Inigo," Nah said, smiling awkwardly. "It's uh...it's good to see you again."

...

 **Nah finally reunites with her friends! What will happen now?**

 **Also, make sure to check out my newest Fire emblem story, The Woes of Dating a Half-Manakete! It's Robin x Nah (Best couple, FITE ME) so go check it out! Don't forget to review! And remember, stay wykkyd!**


	41. I'm Back, Bitches

**Okay, so...Last time this was updated I was a high school senior with a lot of stress piling on top of him, and as this chapter is coming out I am now a college freshman with, lo and behold, even MORE ungodly stress to deal with! I don't know, friends, school just sucks. It's soul sucking, and it reeeeally takes out all of your energy. God, it's been too long since I've done, well... Anything on this site, really. Just been busy trying to balance out all my life issues and trying some down to earth soul-searching, with mixed results. On a lighter note, I applied for an emotional support dog to keep me company in this prison, so hopefully I'll get a nice morale boost to keep me from updating stories a couple times throughout the year. So yeah, sorry that this took so long, as this is being posted I already have at least two other chapters going through the works, just so you guys have enough material to last.**

 **Anyway, with chapter forty one out of...Well, I always estimated this story lasting around sixty-five chapters, we enter the third overall act. Of course, there's still plenty of little mini-arcs planned, but nevertheless sooner or later this story is going to draw to a close. I AM seeing this through to the very end, no matter how painful it is. It's kind of...bittersweet in a way. This is easily my longest story, and probably the one I'm most proud of, despite its flaws that I do intend to tweak once the story has concluded. Honestly I'm just thankful so many people support this particular piece, despite whatever obstacles my life throws at me. Honestly, you guys deserve just as much credit for this story as I do, and even if it takes another year or two we're all gonna see this through till the end. Thank you for your support, your patience, your criticism and your PM's asking about me. Without further ado, please enjoy this chapter.**

 **(Also I wonder if I ever bumped past any of you guys in real life yet, that's like my end goal as a fanfiction author, LOL)**

 **...**

There was complete silence in the restaurant, Dwyer actually heard a pin drop. His eyes shifted from Nah to Laslow, then back to Nah, and then back to Laslow. The two stared at each other blankly, seemingly unaware of the world around them. Miss Peri seemed just as confused as everyone else present, a slim piece of meat awkwardly dangling from the corner of her mouth.

The doors opened again, and Dwyer soon noticed that Soleil and Velouria were on either side of him. Soleil frowned and turned to the butler, lightly nudging him with her elbow.

"What's going on, Dwyer?" she whispered, though not very subtly.

"It's, uh...complicated," he answered. Velouria sniffed the air and began lightly chewing her lip as her eyes narrowed.

"She smells different from anything I've heard of," she murmured. "A little bit like Lord Corrin and Kana, but...different. More earthly, like something ancient."

"Well she is a thousand years old," Dwyer replied, shrugging. The two girls turned to him with wide eyes, mouths agape.

"You're kidding!" Soleil hissed.

Dwyer shook his head. "I honestly wish I was," he answered, sighing. "But seriously, that's how old she is...and she's been searching for your father for centuries."

"That...that's insane..." Soleil muttered, shaking her head in disbelief.

Dwyer turned his attention back to Nah, who as slowly beginning to approach Laslow's table. "Inigo..?" she called to him, looking increasingly more nervous. "Aren't you going to say anything?"

Miss Peri turned to her husband in confusion and mild irritation. "Laslow, what's going on?" she asked him. "Why is that little girl calling you Inigo?"

Nah froze, and then puffed out her cheeks and stamped her foot onto the ground. "Hey, I am NOT a little girl!" she protested adorably. "If anything, YOU'RE the little girl!"

"What the-?"

"Ladies, please!" Laslow said, standing up. He glanced around the room until he settled on the three teenagers. His gaze softened when his eyes met Soleil's, and with a deep breath, he began walking towards Nah. The dancer stopped just short of a foot away from the manakete, and slowly he knelt down and extended his arms, flashing a charming grin.

"Come here, old friend," he invited, "it's been far too long."

Nah stared at her old friend for a few moments, and then her eyes began to well up with tears. "Oh...Inigo!" she cried, launching herself into the man's arms. She threw her arms around his neck and clung to him like he might disappear at any moment, sobbing into his shoulder. "I-I looked for you, for so long!" she hiccuped. "I-I t-thought I'd never see you again, I was so scared!" She leaned against his chest, shaking her head. "A thousand years, Inigo...I've been wandering this realm for a thousand years!"

"Shhh..." Laslow hushed, rubbing the girl's back. "It's been a long journey, but it's okay...You can take it easy now, Nah. I'm not going to disappear, I promise you."

"Father..?" Soleil said, stepping forward. "What's going on?"

"Soleil..." Laslow turned his head to his daughter, smiling softly.

"Father?" Nah repeated, pulling away from her old friend. She looked Soleil up and down, her eyes widening. "Oh my gods, Inigo! She looks just like-"

"I know," Laslow said, grinning brightly. "She truly does. She's our pride and joy."

"And this..." Nah turned to Peri, who was moving away from the table towards them. "This must be your wife..." She smiled and giggled cutely. "After all this time, you've finally settled down."

"We all have," Laslow confirmed with a nod. "Owain and Severa are married, and they have children of their own now." He turned to Peri and extended his hand. "Come, dear, I want to introduce you to an old friend of mine."

Peri took her husband's hands and allowed herself to be led to Nah. Peri leaned down and slowly began to smile. "Any friend of Laslow's is a friend of mine!" she chirped brightly. "Can I get your name, please? Mine's Peri!"

"Nah," the manakete answered.

Peri nodded excitedly. "Oh, that's an adorable name!" she beamed. "I hope you're proud of it, I'm very proud of my name!"

Nah's eyes widened. Immediately she threw her arms around Peri, crying once more. "Oh gods, she's perfect!" she exclaimed. "Thank you for finally understanding, Miss Peri!"

Laslow chuckled and turned to the kids, grinning. "I suppose there is much explaining to do," he assumed, shrugging. "Let's all head outside, ay?"

The group, totaling in six, all stepped outside the restaurant, sitting down on an outdoor table that was conveniently there despite the author blatantly ignoring the rule of Chekov's gun. They were all quickly settled in, and Laslow turned to Nah. "First of all, how did you find me?"

Nah smiled and pointed at Dwyer. "He helped me," she stated, "he was the first person I've met in this realm that I've actually liked, and he lead me to you."

Laslow turned to the butler and grinned. "Ah, Dwyer, you're one hell of a butler, you know that?"

Dwyer coughed and scratched the back of his neck. "Thank you..." he mumbled.

"Mister Laslow, you still haven't told us what's going on," Velouria pointed out, speaking for the first time in a while. "This strange woman says she's been looking for you for a thousand years..." She looked down. "But that...that's not possible, right?"

"It is, Velouria," Laslow confirmed with a nod. "Nah is a rare creature called a manakete, well... she's half manakete. Her father was human."

"What's a manakete?" Soleil asked.

"A manakete is a dragon in human form," Dwyer explained. "They use dragonstones to revert from one form to another."

"Like Lord Corrin?" Peri wondered.

Laslow shook his head. "No, Lord Corrin is a human who can turn into a dragon, there's the difference." He cleared his throat and took a deep breath. "Nah and I...we aren't from this world," he said as silence filled the air. Everyone watched intently, listening to every word he said. "Neither is Odin or Selena...we all hail from a kingdom called Ylisse." He paused for a moment, before closing his eyes. "Which, to be quite honest, won't exist for another thousand years or two."

"What?!" Soleil cried out, shooting up from her seat. "Father, are you saying...you _time traveled?!_ The _very_ thing I wanted to do since I was FIVE, yet you told me it was IMPOSSIBLE! Are you SHITTING me?!"

Laslow chuckled sheepishly and shrugged. "Sorta?" he offered lamely.

Soleil sat back down and shook her head. "Mind blown..." she muttered, but then her eyes bulged. "Holy, crap, wait a minute!" she gasped, shooting up once more. "Doesn't this, like...introduce a paradox...thingy? Like, isn't your future self just destined to come back in time now forever and ever in some kinda time loop?"

Now that Dwyer thought about it, the whole idea of time travel just sounded like a complete headache to figure out. He pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. 'Dear gods, just let it be...'

"Well, I'm happy you brought that up, Soleil!" Laslow beamed, ignoring Dwyer's distant groan. "You see, the fact of the matter is that time is apparently not a single stream, but it has multiple branching paths, different realities you can say. When one alters time, a new reality is born, there are HUNDREDS of different realities out there!" He leaned back and chuckled. "Of course, I only know the very basics, Odin knows a lot more about the specifics."

"Okay, that makes...a vague amount of sense," Velouria muttered, tapping her chin in thought. "Basically, it's less like time travel and more like...travelling between realms, right? Like the deeprealms we grew up in?"

Laslow nodded. "Correct, think of the universe as a bunch of little deep realms, with empty pockets of space between them that you can travel through to reach a different timeline."

"So, what, you mean there's another me out there?" Dwyer asked in a dull tone.

The flirtatious dancer shrugged. "There very well could be, Dwyer."

The butler shook his head. "That's fun and all, but why travel back in time at all?"

"The first time, we had no choice." Nah answered, her eyes drifting towards her lap. The others noticed Laslow stiffen, and Soleil tilted her head in confusion. "First time...?" she repeated. "You guys...have done this before?"

"Sweetie?" Peri whispered, gently rubbing her husband's shoulder.

"Well, um..." Laslow coughed as Nah eyes darted from him to the others, then back at him.

"You guys...never told your families what happened?" she questioned.

"I-It never seemed important!" Laslow reasoned, throwing his hands up. "We left that world behind, we stopped it from ever occurring!"

"Father, what are you talking about?" Soleil wondered worriedly.

"..." Laslow remained silent for several moments, before he sighed and stood up, offering his wife a hand. "Come, Peri," he beckoned, "I think we need to talk. Soleil, you too."

"O-Okay!" the mercenary squeaked, quick to follow her parents inside the establishment. Once the doors shut behind them, Velouria took a deep breath. "Time travel, huh?" she scoffed. "You know, I never thought my life would get that weird..." Dwyer nodded in agreement.

"It...certainly is something," he murmured, sighing as he turned his head to lock eyes with Nah. "So...what do you mean by first time?"

"I'm not sure it is right for me to talk about it, but..." Nah took a deep breath and gently folded her hands on the surface of the table. "Inigo, Owain, Severa and I, along with many others, came from an era on the brink of destruction." Her gaze hardened, her lips tightened. "The Grimeal was a religious cult hellbent on reviving an ancient fell dragon called Grima, who would destroy all life with his army of the undead. Our parents tried to stop them, but eventually they were all killed or missing, it was just us...kids left." She let out a shaky breath, and instinctively Velouria inched closer, wrapping a gentle arm around the half-manakete. Nah nodded her thanks and continued.

"We tried our best to stop Grima, but he was too powerful. Eventually, our leader, Lucina, realized that the only way to stop him was to make sure he never showed up in the first place. So, we...went back in time. It was weird, meeting up with our parents' younger selves, but we won! Grima perished, and we stopped that horrid future from ever occurring. Or at least, that's what we thought..."

Dwyer's eyes narrowed. "Multiple realities," he realized grimly.

Nah nodded. "Yep," she confirmed. "We traded our reality for a different one, but what about all those helpless people still suffering? Some of us, I assume, still feel guilt over it...Inigo, especially."

"I still have nightmares every now and then..." Laslow piped up from behind as he returned with his family in tow. His signature grin was wavering. "But, there's nothing to do about it now...I have a new home, a new purpose." He wrapped his arms around his wife and child, who clung to him lovingly. "My family."

Nah giggled, and shook her head. "Never thought I'd see the day, Inigo," she smirked. "Honestly, all THREE of your have families now? That's kinda hard to imagine!"

Laslow chuckled and sat down as Soleil took a seat next to Dwyer. The flirtatious girl glanced a Dwyer and offered him a small smile, which the butler returned.

"It surprised us as well," Laslow agreed with a nod. "We originally only came here as part of a mission."

"A mission?" everyone asked in unison.

Laslow nodded and grinned sheepishly. "I'm sorry, but that's a story that I've sworn to keep a secret," he apologized with a shrug. "But so far it seems to be going well, so I'm happy for the chance to relax a bit." He turned to his old friend. "How long do you plan on staying, Nah?"

Nah blushed as all the attention was suddenly on her, and she shrugged awkwardly. "I-I don't know..." she admitted quietly. "Honestly, I never thought I'd see you again, so now I don't know what to do next..." she coughed and began playing with one of her pigtails. "I mean, Dwyer did mention that I could stick around and join you guys and your merry band of...whatever, if you'll have me..."

Laslow had a grin on his face so large it nearly flew off his face. Quickly, he scooped Nah up into a warming embrace, much to her surprise and embarrassment. "Nah, we'd LOVE to have you! This army could use a girl like you!"

"R-Really?" Nah gulped, nodding softly. "Well, okay, if that's what you want..."

"We have to let the others know at once!" Laslow announced, beckoning everyone to follow him. "Oh, and we must be sure to tell Lord Corrin as well!"

The group were so preoccupied with the excitement that they failed to notice the cloaked stranger watching them from a few tables away, his golden eyes peering at them with a wicked glint. He began to chuckle softly as he stood up and walked away in the opposite direction.

"Different realities...time travel..." Absalom muttered, rubbing his chin in thought. "Fell dragon...and an army of the undead? It seems the gods have blessed me this day..."

The dark knight had work to do.

...

"A Justice Cabal?" Kana asked, tilting her head curiously.

Ophelia nodded excitedly, grabbing the young princess's hands and clutching them against her chest. "Yes, exactly!" she chirped, unable to contain her smile. "Think about it, Percy is always willing to do anything to be a hero, so if you two spent more time together doing hero stuff, OF COURSE he'll like you back!"

"Huh..." Kana thought about it, then grinned. "I see nothing wrong with that logic!"

"Right now, Dwyer is speaking with Percy about it!"

"Speaking with me about what?"

The two girls jumped and spun around, shocked to see Percy a few feet away, a confused look on his masked face.

"GAH! PERCY!" Ophelia yelped, quickly rushing at the wyvern rider and grabbing his shoulders. "How much did you hear?! HOW MUCH?!"

"J-Just the part where you said Dwyer wanted to talk to me, that's it!" Percy answered, eyes wide. "I swear it! Please don't hurt me!"

Ophelia dropped Percy and sighed in relief. "Oh, thank the gods..." she breathed, shaking her head. She frowned and put her hands on her hips. "But if Dwyer hasn't spoken to you, then what the heck is he doing?"

"What are you talking about?" Percy wondered, dusting himself off. "What do you need me for?"

Ophelia opened her mouth, but quickly snapped it shut and smirked. She stepped away and gestured for Kana to step forward. The princess nervously complied, and she took a deep breath as she approached her heroic crush.

"Um...Percy?" she squeaked.

"Yeah?"

Kana rubbed her arm. "Do you...Do you want to form a Justice Cabal with me?"

"A Justice Cabal?" Percy repeated. Seconds past, and the young hero grinned and nodded eagerly. "I'm not surer what exactly that is but it sounds right up my ally! I'd love to form a cabal with you, Kana!"

"R-Really?!" Kana gasped, before she suddenly threw her arms around Percy. "Percy, thank you! You're the best!"

Ophelia watched the two younger kids gush over the thought of being true crime-fighters, silently relishing in her mini victory. 'I do wonder what happened to Dwyer, though...' She shrugged. Knowing the butler, he probably managed to get himself roped up in someone else's problem. She could always just tell him what a success the mission was whenever he returned. Chuckling, she approached the two newest members of the Justice Cabal.

"But alas, one can't form the Justice Cabal with only two heroes!" she informed them, before taking a gracious bow. "Ophelia Dusk will also be joining your quest for justice! Let the darkness be forewarned! The Chosen One and her warriors of dusk shall smite all who oppose peace!"

The other two cheered, and once they had all calmed down Percy glanced around. "Three seems kinda small for a crime-fighting team of justice, though...Shouldn't we have more members!"

"Aha!" Ophelia exclaimed. "Exactly right, Percy! We're going to need new recruits! But who..." She tapped her chin in thought. "Who are those worthy of joining our prestige rankings?"

"Dwyer?" Kana suggested.

"Of course, of course," Ophelia agreed with a nod. "A healer is very important, what other roles are there?"

"A super stoic loner?" Percy added, shrugging.

Kana blinked. "Doesn't Dwyer kinda fit in there too?"

Ophelia shook her head and giggled. "As much as Dwyer wishes he were a stoic loner, he's much different."

"Okay, then what about..." Percy trailed off, but then snapped his fingers. "A costume designer! Every cool hero team needs matching costumes, right?"

"Oh, that's a very good idea!" Ophelia praised. "In fact, I think I know just the person we need for that job! But first, let's finish rounding out our team!"

...

"Nah! You're here!" Odin gasped as he and Selena threw their arms around the half-manakete.

"Owain, Severa!" Nah cried as she gladly buried herself in them. "I can't believe I really found you guys! I looked for you everywhere!

It was a rather touching reunion between old friends, Dwyer noted as he allowed a gentle smile to form across his face. He stood next to Lord Corrin, arms behind his back and standing as straight as he could, trying for once to look like a dignified butler alongside his lord. Corrin watched the reunion with an amused chuckle, shaking his head as he turned to his Nohrian siblings, who stood off to the side.

"I believe that she should be allowed to join our cause," he decided. Lord Leo responded with a frown and sighed.

"Normally I would be inclined to agree, Brother," he said, "but we must be cautious. We don't want another Absalom incident, after all."

Dwyer frowned, knowing exactly what the Nohrian prince was implying. Another ally being controlled by the enemy. Weeks before none of them would've thought it possible, but the reality of what they were up against was ever present. After all, they hadn't returned to their castle in the astral plane for quite some time, fearing that Absalom would somehow take advantage of that.

"Hush, Leo," Lord Xander commanded sternly. "That was not young Rhajat's fault, and Corrin's heart hasn't failed us yet. I support his decision."

"Indeed," Lady Camilla agreed with a smirk. "Honestly, I haven't seen Selena this happy in years!"

"Plus it'll be great having a new face around," Lady Elise, Ophelia's oddly youthful mother, chirped, bouncing on her heels. "Any friend of Odin is a friend of mine! Teehee!"

Nah finally separated herself from her friends and turned to face the royals. She locked eyes with Lord Corrin and bowed. "Milord," she greeted. "I've heard about you, and humbly request permission to join your ranks."

"Hmph." Lord Leo grunted. "Well at least she's well-mannered."

"Lord Leo, Lord Corrin, I can confidently vouch for her," Odin assured, bowing as well.

"As can I," Laslow agreed, taking his own bow. "She's a dear friend to us, and her skills are nothing to scoff at, I assure you."

"There's no one like her around!" Selena claimed. quickly bowing her head. "She'll gladly pull her own weight around her, please let her join!"

"Hmm..." Lord Corrin smiled and turned to Dwyer. "You said you've met her, Dwyer?"

"Several times, Milord," Dwyer confirmed. "She's a good friend, trust me."

Lord Corrin nodded and beckoned for Nah to rise. "Nah, I've heard nothing but good about you," he said, patting Dwyer's shoulder. "If Dwyer can see how valuable you are then that's good enough for me, you may join our ranks!"

"You mean it?" Nah gasped as Odin cheered and threw an arm around her. "T-Thank you, Lord Corrin! I promise to help your cause however I can!"

Dwyer let out a small sigh of relief, and with a quick bow to Lord Corrin he made his leave, deciding that he definitely needed to rest back in his room.

A sudden chill washed over him, and he froze, listening closely for any strange sound. Yes...There! A faint chuckling, echoing through the winding alleyways of the tight-knit town. Dwyer took a few cautionary steps back, before turning around and hurrying back to the inn. He quickly entered through the tavern connected to it, ignoring the patrons immediately trying to egg him into partaking in their drinking. He swiftly made his way through the halls to his room, shaking his head.

'You were imagining things,' he tried convincing himself, lightly slapping his cheek. 'He's not here...He's not here...'

He reached his room and threw open the door, and froze.

Standing in the middle of his room were five figures: Ophelia, Kana, Percy, a sheepish Forrest, and for whatever reason, a very, VERY reluctant-looking Hisame.

"...what are you doing in my room?" Dwyer finally asked.

Ophelia grinned and spread her arms wide. "We were waiting for you, fellow chosen one!" she exclaimed, gesturing wildly towards her companions. "Say your greetings to the brand new Justice Cabal!"

Percy, Kana, and Forrest cheered, while Hisame tried his best to scoot away from the excited 'heroes'.

Dwyer shared his shame. He truly did.

...

 **And thus the Justice Cabal arc begins! And what the heck is Hisame doing there? What's Absalom planning? So many questions, all to be answered in due time! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Don't forget to review (please review, PLEASE REVIEW)! And remember, stay wykkyd (feels good saying that)!**

 **Now I definitely need a power nap...yeesh.**


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